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Source- This post on Mekong River has been created based on the article “Dam projects across the Mekong River in Laos raises fears” published in “The Hindu” on 3 February 2024.
Why in the news?
A multibillion-dollar dam project on river Mekong in Laos’s Luang Prabang city, may result in the city losing its UNESCO status.
About Mekong river
| Aspect | Details |
| About | It is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world’s twelfth-longest river and the third-longest in Asia. |
| Origin | It originates from the Sanjianyuang in the Tibetan Plateau in China. |
| Mouth | The river drains into the South China Sea |
| Countries | It flows through six Asian countries: China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It covers a total length of 2700 km. |
| Biodiversity | It is the second most biodiverse river basin in the world, after Amazon River Basin. It contains about 20,000 plant species,1,200 birds, 430 mammals, 800 amphibians and reptiles, and 850 fish species. |
| Capital cities on its banks | 1) Vientiane– the capital of Laos 2) Phnom Penh-the capital of Cambodia |
| Significance for India | 1) The Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) is an initiative by six countries – India and five ASEAN countries – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. 2) Mekong Delta is a potential source of regional tension due to an increasing number of hydroelectric projects that are altering the flow and raising concerns of ecological damage. |
Note-Luang Prabang– It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where as per legend Buddha once rested during his travels.
UPSC Syllabus-Geography in news.
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