Last Days of the Mighty Mekong

Celebrated for its natural beauty and its abundance of wildlife, the Mekong river runs thousands of miles through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Its basin is home to more than 70 million people and has for centuries been one of the world's richest agricultural areas and a biodynamic wonder. Today, however, it is undergoing profound changes. Development policies, led by a rising China in particular, aim to interconnect the region and urbanize the inhabitants. In this new and comprehensively updated edition of Last Days of the Mighty Mekong, Brian Eyler gives his first-hand account of the impact on the river of the tumultuous political period since the book’s original publication. From the lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic and a devastating drought to the increasing political tensions and resource competition between China and Trump-era America, Eyler recounts his own increasing involvements in international efforts to protect this precious and delicate environment. Along the way he meets the region’s diverse peoples, from villagers to community leaders, politicians to policy makers. Through conversations with them he reveals the urgent struggle to save the Mekong and its unique ecosystem.