In this episode of H2O and Beyond, I’m joined by Brian Eyler, Director of the Energy, Water & Sustainability Program at The Stimson Center, to explore one of the most important rivers in the world: the Mekong.

Over 70 million people rely on this river for food, income, and transportation — but its future is changing fast. From hydropower dams and rare earth mining, to flood pulse disruption and climate-driven storms, the Mekong is becoming one of the most engineered and pressured rivers on the planet.

0:00 Intro

5: 11 Geography of the Mekong

6:39 Why is the Mekong "Mighty"?

10:10 Rare Earth Mining on the Mekong

14:10 Effects of damming the Mekong

15:05 What is the Mekong "Flood Pulse"?

20:00 Dams in China

23:06 Why does China feel a need to build such large dams?

26:11 Geopolitics of the region

31:17 Who feels the effects of these changes in the Mekong?

35:10 Climate change and its effects on the Mekong

38:07 What are the solutions to climate change along the Mekong?

43:22 US diplomatic relations in the region

47:00 Future of the Mekong

51:17 Closing

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