The Mekong River is the world’s 12th-longest, and about 300 million people live and work by its waters, tributaries and riparian lands. But for such a mighty river it is acutely sensitive. For years the countries on the lower reaches of the river have complained that hydroelectric dams built in China are adversely affecting the annual ebbs and flows of water as well as the migrations of fish and other aquatic species. Now thousands of hectares of rice paddies in Vietnam’s bountiful Mekong Delta region are reported to be threatened because decreased fresh water flows in the Mekong are allowing salt seawater to back up into the fields.
