The Mekong River is one of the greatest river systems on Earth. It is ranked as the twelfth-longest river in the world and eighth in terms of annual discharge. The seasonal variation in the water level and the range of wetland habitats inundated by the Mekong River provide the source of the river system’s productivity. The rich biodiversity within the Mekong River basin, especially fisheries, is fundamental to the viability of natural resource-based rural livelihoods of the people living within the basin. These livelihoods are founded on the integrated use of a wide range of natural resources, and which are adapted to the seasonal changes of flooding and recession. Maintaining and improving the natural productivity of the river basin is essential to both the local populations and the national economies of those countries within the basin.
