ForumIAS LATEST
- SFG FRC 2027 | Program starts from 19th Dec. 2026 | Admissions open for Entrance Test Click Here to know more →
- Prelims Test Series (PTS) for Prelims 2027 starts 11th Oct. 2026 Click Here to know more →
- [Pre-order] Ethics Redbook 3rd Edition: Delivery starts from 10th October onwards Click Here to Read More →
- 21 Sept. | GS Advance Program (GSAP) for UPSC 2027 Mains starts from 11th Oct. Click Here to Read More →
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.
