Mekong

Our successes in the greater Mekong are the direct result of our partnerships with local communities, governments, and international agencies that have identified mutual solutions to bridge the needs of development with conservation

Responsible development

Millions of people depend on the fish in the Mekong river as a source of food and income.
© WWF

In 2011, the four Lower Mekong countries (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand) unanimously agreed to suspend hydropower development on the Lower Mekong main stem until proper and thorough assessments are carried out. This major achievement  is partially due to the work WWF has done with all four countries to promote sustainable hydropower development in the Mekong River Basin. This agreement highlights the  importance of considering environmental and social impacts when making development-related decisions.

Impacts include the destruction of  freshwater habitat, obstruction of the estimated 50 commercially important migratory fish, and the trapping of sediment by dams upstream that prohibit the replenishment of the Mekong delta's nutrients. The recognition of these and other associated risks from unsustainable dam development is crucial for the survival of fisheries worth up to $9 billion dollars and livelihoods of millions of people in the Mekong River Basin. 

Species discoveries

The discovery of the saola in 1992, one of only five large mammals discovered in the last 100 years, began years of unparalleled discovery in the jungles of Indochina. Surveys by WWF, the Ministry of Forestry, and the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute of Vietnam in the mid-1990s revealed two additional species; a medium-sized deer that is closely related to the common muntjac, and the Truong Son muntjac.

In September 2007, WWF scientists announced the discovery of 11 new animal and plant species in a remote area of central Vietnam. Within the ancient tropical forests of the region known as Vietnam's "Green Corridor," scientists found a snake, five orchids, and two butterflies as well as three other plants new to science and exclusive to the Annamites Mountain Range. Ten other plant species, including four orchids, are still under examination but also appear to be new species. 

The saola, a species discovered in 1992, is threatened by hunting.
© David Hulse / WWF-Canon

A safe space for the elusive saola

In April 2011, a reserve was declared to help protect saolas. The Quang Nam’s People Committee inaugurated the Quang Nam Saola Nature Reserve in the Annamite mountains along the border of Vietnam and Laos. 

 “The establishment of this new protected area by the province of Quang Nam is of vital importance to the survival of the saola,” said Dr. Barney Long, WWF’s Asian species expert. “We applaud the efforts made to secure the habitat of this critically endangered species and hope that the required anti-poaching efforts are quickly implemented to ensure a future for this species in the province.”

Partnering with industry

In 2007, WWF and The Coca-Cola Company launched a multi-year partnership to conserve and protect freshwater resources. The $20 million commitment from The Coca-Cola Company to WWF will be used to help conserve seven of the world's most important freshwater river basins, including the Mekong.

Other notable accomplishments

• Established 2.5 million acres of  habitat as protected areas in the Eastern Plains Landscape of Cambodia
• Helped establish a transboundary agreement between Laos and Thailand to reduce overfishing and improve management of an important stretch of the Mekong River to enhance protections for the Mekong giant catfish
• Developed guidelines for road construction in the floodplains of the Lower Mekong Basin to make future road structures more flood-resistant and reduce negative environmental impacts