Mekong Communities Speak Out for Their Natural Heritage

More than 500 people gathered along the banks of the Mekong River in Chiang Khong, Thailand on February 5 to take a stand against plans to blast away the Khon Pi Luang rapids just a few kilometers upstream. The blasting is part of a large-scale plan to expand the navigability of the Mekong River between Yunnan and Luang Prabang. The project, which was approved through a Thai Cabinet Resolution in December 2016, would irreversibly alter the Mekong River’s vibrant ecosystem and the lives of the many communities that depend on it.