Mekongriver

Loh Ang (19) Tony Ng (20)

1. Geography2. History3. Benefits and Problems4. Impact5. Different Views6. Environmental Aspects7. References

Content

Mekong River

A trans-boundary river12th longest river in the world7th longest river in AsiaLength: 4350 kmDrainage Area: 795,000 km2

Annual discharge of water: 457 km3

Geography

Runs through

China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam

Source of Mekong River

A glacier stream

Found in the North side of Guosangmucha Mountain (China)

Elevation of 5514 m

Lasagongma Spring

Mouth of Mekong River

Is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean

Encompasses an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around 3,500,000 km2

South China Sea

Tributaries and Distributaries

Tributaries Distributaries

Nam Ta Tien

Nam Ou Ham Luong

Nam Soung Co Chien

Nam Khan Bassac

Known as Dzi Chu

Steep Descends

Swift Rapids

Upper Course

Forms as Mekong River tumbles from the Tibetan plateau

Makes the Mekong River one of the strongest rivers in the world (Toptenz)

Rapids

Known as Latsan Chiang

Place where Myanmar, Thailand and Laos converge

Middle Course

Area of around 950,000 km2

Overlaps the mountains of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand

Designates the confluence of the Ruak River and the Mekong River

Golden Triangle

● Used for irrigation

● One third of the combined population for Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam

Lower Course

The largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia

An ecological hot spot that was designated as a UNESCO biosphere in 1997

From November to May: Cambodia's dry season, the Tonlé Sap drains into the Mekong River at Phnom PenhWhen the year's heavy rains begin in June: the Tonlé Sap backs up to form an enormous lake

Tônlé Sap

Is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries

Encompasses an area of about 39 000 km2

Recently been dubbed as a 'biological treasure trove'

Mekong Delta

The highlights of the Mekong delta

Central markets in the delta

People can buy fruit and vegetables from local production

The goods are sold directly from the boats

Owners hang the available products on long poles, so thatpeople can see what’s on offer from far away

Small sampans serve as mobile cafés

Floating Markets

History

Earliest known settlement: Ban Chiang (2100 BC)

Earliest recorded civilisation : Indianised-Khmer culture of Funan (1st Century)

Last great Indianised state: Khmer Empire of Angkor

The French used this river to take control of the region

History

Benefits

Problems

Benefits

Problems

Provides Cambodia with water via the annual floods

Tonle Sap is a tourist attraction

Its high-quality water can fetch a high price

Benefits

Floods Major Cities

2000: Floods killed more than 480 people across the Delta region

2001: More than 300 people died when the Mekong overflowed its banks

2011: At least 150 people in Cambodia and Southern Vietnam died due to Mekong flooding and flash floods

Problems

Impact

60 million people live at the Mekong Lower Basin

40% live at the 15 km corridor of Mekong River

People

The Mekong River acts as the region's highway and provides access to trade, food security and livelihoods

How are their lives affected?

Different Views

Most feel that it is worth it to visit Mekong River (Tripadvisor)

People’s View

Important place for buddhist temples such as Bén Lúc temple

Religious View

Students are being educated on the benefits and problems created by the Mekong River and how to preserve the natural environment of Mekong River

Educational View

The floating market and the Mekong Delta are famous tourist attraction that boost the economy of the region

Economical view

Environmental Aspect

Environmental Aspect

The Mekong River supports many species of life such as fish serving as a migration path

Many animals live at the Mekong River drainage basin

● Forests

❖ Great Mekong Subregion lost just under a third of its forest cover between 1973 and 2009

● Freshwater❖ Mekong river basin contains one of the most

productive and diverse river systems on Earth

Ecosystem

More than 1,100 freshwater species of fish are found in Mekong River

Second only to the Amazon River in terms of fish biodiversity

Organisms include the last remaining populations of the Irrawaddy dolphin, giant freshwater stingray, and the Mekong giant catfish

Organisms

Waste material discharged by factories pollute and threaten the life in Mekong River

Construction of big hydropower dams on the Mekong River may be a great threat to the future of the river

Threats

● “River”, Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River

● “Mekong”, Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong

● “South China Sea”, Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_China_Sea

● “Mekong River”, tripadvisor, http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293921-d325305-Reviews-Mekong_River-Vietnam.html

● “Greater Mekong”, WWF, http://worldwildlife.org/places/greater-mekong

● “Advantages of Mekong River in Phnom Penh”, Sunnarin’s blog, http://sunnarin.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/advantages-of-mekong-river-in-phnom-penh/

References

References

● “The Source of the Mekong River, Qinghai, China”, http://www.shangri-la-river-expeditions.com/1stdes/mekong/mekongsource/mekongsource.html

● “Tonle Sap”, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonl%C3%A9_Sap

● “Physiography”, Mekong River Commission, http://www.mrcmekong.org/the-mekong-basin/physiography/

● “Mekong Delta”, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong_Delta

● “Mekong Delta: Wonderful Water World”http://www.mekong-delta-travel-guide.com/en/activities-attractions/floating-markets

References

● “Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia)”, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Triangle_(Southeast_Asia)

● “Top ten most powerful rivers in the world”, Toptenz, http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-most-powerful-rivers-in-the-world.php#wux1xeTdQmr3kVzj.99

● “Ecosystems in the Greater Mekong: past trends, current

status, possible futures”, WWF,

http://wwf.panda.org/?208456/Ecosystems-in-the-Greater-Mekong-past-trends-current-status-possible-futures

References

Images from:● http://environews.ph/biodiversity/dugong-irrawaddy-dolphin-f

ace-extinction-in-phl/

● www.relievearth.com

● www.crusaders.biz

● http://www.shangri-la-river-expeditions.com/1stdes/mekong/mekongsource/mekongsource.html

● commons.wikimedia.org

● mekong-river-geography-ispl.blogspot.com

● http://wallpapers.free-review.net/19_~_Home_Environment_-_desktop_background.htm

References

Images from:● http://www.lifelibertythepursuit.com/organisms-of-our-own-cre

ation/630/

● mrbelloblog.com

● www.marketingpilgrim.com

● www.pickywallpapers.com

● newsamnews.ioe.ac.uk

● interaction.dundee.ac.uk

● www.hdwallpaperstop.com

● footage.shutterstock.com

● footage.shutterstock.com

● www.123rf.com