What happens when the river that feeds 70 million people is pushed to the brink?
The Mekong River runs over 5,000 km and across 6 countries: China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, where it ends with its famous delta.
For hundreds of years, it has provided shelter, food, and all kinds of natural resources to over 60 million people who lived in harmony with the generous mother of all rivers. However, with the rapid growth that South East Asia is experiencing, as witnessed by the ever-increasing constructions and economic development projects, the fragile balance of communities living by and from its waters is at stake.
Facing a threat as well as an opportunity, the future of the Mekong lies in the diversity of its cultures and the beauty of its landscapes, shaped both by the river and its inhabitants.
00:00 – Introduction: Mother of All Rivers
01:33 – Laos: Boatmakers & River Traditions
06:57 – Prosperity and Struggles Along the Mekong
08:33 – Food, Insects & Rice: Life by the River
15:49 – Giant Fish and Ancient Conflicts
22:36 – Cambodia: The Mekong and Tonle Sap Lake
29:35 – Cambodia’s Dependence on the River
35:28 – Vietnam’s Mekong Delta: Nine Dragons of Asia
43:19 – Floating Markets & Rice Harvests
46:09 – Shrimp Farms and Environmental Challenges
50:55 – The Mekong’s Fragile Future
CVD 