Mekong River

Picture by Michael S. Yamashita


Becca and myself visited the Mekong River in Southeastern Asia to examine the human environmental interactions in the lower basin area. There are over 1,300 species of fish in the twelfth longest river in the world. But, we found out much more then what we came for. We also found out how much the river impacts the lives and cultures of the native people living around the river. The upper Mekong river is fed from melting snow from surrounding mountains. The lower Mekong River is fed by tributaries and monsoons. This river flows through the countries China, Tibet, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar. This lower basin is the main support for about 6 million people. But, there are many more who are affected because of trading of fish from the River. The water that nourishes the farm land in Thailand is seasonal but the amount of crop produced is enough to support them and the surrounding trading countries for a whole year. There are many skilled fishermen along the Mekong river that know many different techniques for catching fish that are traded all around the world. This river helps many survive and if anything were to happen to it, the millions that depend on it as a resource would suffer greatly. The human environment interaction is healthy because they are taking care of the river, they don't deplete the river's supply of fish, and they don't have trash dumps in the Mekong River. This is a beautiful place with rich soil, healthy animals, and many plants. The healthy features are key to the survival of humans in this area and many surrounding areas.