The Mekong is a trans-boundary river in Southeast Asia. It is the world's 12thlongest river[2] and the 7th-longest in Asia.

Its estimated length is 4,350 km

(2,703 mi),[2] and it drains an area of 795,000 km2 (307,000 sq mi), discharging
457 km3 (110 cu mi) of water annually.[3]

From the Tibetan Plateau this river runs through China's Yunnan province, Burma
(Myanmar), Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. In 1995, Laos, Thailand,
Cambodia and Vietnam established the Mekong River Commission to assist in the
management and coordinated use of the Mekong's resources. In 1996 China and
Burma (Myanmar) became "dialogue partners" of the MRC and the six countries
now work together within a cooperative framework.

The extreme seasonal variations in flow and the presence of rapids and waterfalls
in this river have made navigation difficult. The river is a major trading route
linking Chinas southwestern province of Yunnan to Laos, Burma (Myanmar) and
Thailand to the south, an important trade route between western China and
Southeast Asia.

Contents

1 Names
2 Course
3 Drainage basin
3.1 Upper basin
3.2 Lower basin
3.3 Water flow along its course
4 River modifications
5 Natural history
6 The fisheries
7 Navigation
8 Geology
9 History
10 Bridges
11 Protected areas

12 Miscellany
13 See also
14 References
15 Further reading
16 External links

Names

In English the river is called "the Mekong River", derived from "Mae Nam Khong",
a term of both Thai and Lao origin. In the Lao-Thai toponymy, rivers translates to
"mother of water," signalled by the prefix "mae", meaning "mother", and "nam"
for water. In the Mekong's case, Mae Nam Khong means Khong, The Mother of
Water.[4] Many Northern Thai and Laos locals refer to it as the "River Khong".
Such is the case with the Mae Nam Ping in Chiang Mai which is known as the
"Ping River". The Tonle Sap in Cambodia is a similar example where Tonle
translates as "Great lake or Great river", making the Tonle Sap River an
unnecessary repetition of what is in fact the "Sap River".

Since the river flows through a number of countries, it has many different names
in local languages:

Burmese: , IPA: [m mj]

Chinese: Riverhead: , and Z Q, upper reaches:
, Lncng Jing ("Turbulent River", "Lncng" is the same as 'Lan Xang'
in Chinese), middle and lower reaches: Migng h.
Khmer:
Mkngk [meeko],

Tnl Mkngk [tnlee

meeko],
Tnl Thum [tnlee tom] ("Great River").
Lao: , [m nm k ], [nm k ].
Thai: , [m nm k].
Tibetan:

, Wylie: rDza chu, ZYPY: Za qu

Vietnamese: Sng M Kng (pronounced [som mekom]), Sng Ln ("Great
River", [som l n]), Sng Cu Long ("Nine Dragons River", [som k w l]).

Course

The Mekong rises as the Za Qu and soon becomes known as the Lancang
(Lantsang) in the "Three Rivers Source Area" on the Tibetan Plateau in the
Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve; the reserve protects the headwaters of,
from north to south, the Yellow (Huang He), the Mekong, and the Yangtze Rivers.
[3] It flows through the Tibetan Autonomous Region and then southeast into
Yunnan Province, and then through the Three Parallel Rivers Area in the
Hengduan Mountains, along with the Yangtze to its east and the Salween River
(Nujiang in Chinese) to its west.

The Mekong then meets the tripoint of China, Burma (Myanmar) and Laos. From
there it flows southwest and forms the border of Burma and Laos for about 100
kilometres (62 mi) until it arrives at the tripoint of Burma, Laos, and Thailand.
This is also the point of confluence between the Ruak River (which follows the
Thai-Burma border) and the Mekong. The area of this tripoint is sometimes
termed the Golden Triangle, although the term also refers to the much larger area
of those three countries that is notorious as a drug producing region.

From the Golden Triangle tripoint, the Mekong turns southeast to briefly form the
border of Laos with Thailand. It then turns east into the interior of Laos, flowing
first east and then south for some 400 kilometres (250 mi) before meeting the
border with Thailand again. Once more, it defines the Laos-Thailand border for
some 850 kilometres (530 mi) as it flows first east, passing in front of the capital
of Laos, Vientiane, then turns south. A second time, the river leaves the border
and flows east into Laos soon passing the city of Pakse. Thereafter, it turns and
runs more or less directly south, crossing into Cambodia.

At Phnom Penh the river is joined on the right bank by the river and lake system
the Tonl Sap. When the Mekong is low, the Tonle Sap is a tributary; water flows
from the lake and river into the Mekong. When the Mekong floods, the flow
reverses; the floodwaters of the Mekong flow up the Tonle Sap.

Immediately after the Sap River joins the Mekong by Phnom Penh, the Bassac
River branches off the right (west) bank. The Bassac River is the first and main
distributary of the Mekong; thus, this is the beginning of the Mekong Delta. The
two rivers, the Bassac to the west and the Mekong to the east, enter Vietnam
very soon after this. In Vietnam, the Bassac is called the Hu River (Sng Hu or
Hu Giang); the main, eastern, branch of the Mekong is called the Tin River or
Tin Giang. In Vietnam, distributaries of the eastern (main, Mekong) branch
include the M Tho River, the Ba Lai River, the Hm Lung River, and the C
Chin River.

Drainage basin
The Mekong from Phou si
The confluence of the Mekong and the Nam Ou river in Laos.

The Mekong Basin can be divided into two parts: the 'Upper Mekong Basin' in
Tibet and China, and the 'Lower Mekong Basin' from Yunnan downstream from
China to the South China Sea.[5] From the point where it rises to its mouth, the
most precipitous drop in the Mekong occurs in Upper Mekong Basin, a stretch of
some 2,200 km (1,400 mi). Here, it drops 4,500 metres (14,800 ft) before it
enters the Lower Basin where the borders of Thailand, Laos, China and Burma
(Myanmar) come together in the Golden Triangle. Downstream from the Golden
Triangle, the river flows for a further 2,600 km (1,600 mi) through Laos, Thailand
and Cambodia before entering the South China Sea via a complex delta system in
Vietnam.[5]
Upper basin

The Upper Basin makes up 24% of the total area and contributes 15 to 20% of
the water that flows into the Mekong River. The catchment here is steep and
narrow. Soil erosion has been a major problem and approximately 50% of the
sediment in the river comes from the Upper Basin.

In Yunnan province in China, the river and its tributaries are confined by narrow,
deep gorges. The tributary river systems in this part of the basin are small. Only
14 have catchment areas that exceed 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi), yet the greatest
amount of loss of forest cover in the entire river system per square kilometer has
occurred in this region due to heavy unchecked demand for natural resources. In
the south of Yunnan, in Simao and Xishuangbanna Prefectures, the river changes
as the valley opens out, the floodplain becomes wider, and the river becomes
wider and slower.
Lower basin

Major tributary systems develop in the Lower Basin. These systems can be
separated into two groups: tributaries that contribute to the major wet season
flows, and tributaries that drain low relief regions of lower rainfall. The first group
are left bank tributaries that drain the high-rainfall areas of Lao PDR. The second
group are those on the right bank, mainly the Mun and Chi rivers, that drain a
large part of northeast Thailand.

Laos lies almost entirely within the Lower Mekong Basin. Its climate, landscape
and land use are the major factors shaping the hydrology of the river. The
mountainous landscape means that only 16% of the country is farmed under
lowland terrace or upland shifting cultivation.[5] With upland shifting agriculture
(slash and burn), soils recover within 10 to 20 years but the vegetation does not.
Shifting cultivation is common in the uplands of Northern Laos and is reported to
account for as much as 27% of the total land under rice cultivation.[5] As
elsewhere in the basin, forest cover has been steadily reduced during the last
three decades by shifting agriculture and permanent agriculture. The cumulative
impacts of these activities on the river regime have not been measured.
However, the hydrological impacts of land-cover changes induced by the Vietnam
War were quantified in two sub-catchments of the Lower Mekong River Basin.[6]

Loss of forest cover in the Thai areas of the Lower Basin has been the highest in
all the Lower Mekong countries over the past 60 years. On the Khorat Plateau,
which includes the Mun and Chi tributary systems, forest cover was reduced from
42% in 1961 to 13% in 1993.[5] Although this part of northeast Thailand has an
annual rainfall of more than 1,000 mm, a high evaporation rate means it is
classified as a semi-arid region. Consequently, although the Mun and Chi Basins
drain 15% of the entire Mekong Basin, they only contribute 6% of the average
annual flow.[5] Sandy and saline soils are the most common soil types, which
makes much of the land unsuitable for wet rice cultivation. In spite of poor
fertility, however, agriculture is intensive. Glutinous rice, maize and cassava are
the principal crops.[5] Drought is by far the major hydrological hazard in this
region.[5]

As the Mekong enters Cambodia, over 95% of the flows have already joined the
river.[5] From here on downstream the terrain is flat and water levels rather than
flow volumes determine the movement of water across the landscape. The
seasonal cycle of changing water levels at Phnom Penh results in the unique "flow
reversal" of water into and out of the Great Lake via the Tonle Sap River. Phnom
Penh also marks the beginning of the delta system of the Mekong River. Here the
mainstream begins to break up into an increasing number of branches.[5]

In Cambodia, wet rice is the main crop and is grown on the flood plains of the
Tonle Sap, Mekong, and Bassac (the Mekong delta distributary known as the Hu
in Vietnam) Rivers.[5] More than half of Cambodia remains covered with mixed
evergreen and deciduous broadleaf forest, but forest cover has decreased from
73% in 1973 to 63% in 1993.[5] Here, the river landscape is flat. Small changes
in water level determine the direction of water movement, including the largescale reversal of flow into and out of the Tonle Sap basin from the Mekong River.
[5]
Mekong Delta, Vietnam

The Mekong delta in Vietnam is farmed intensively and has little natural
vegetation left. Forest cover is less than 10%. In the Central Highlands of
Vietnam, forest cover was reduced from over 95% in the 1950s to around 50% in
the mid-1990s.[5] Agricultural expansion and population pressure are the major
reasons for land use and landscape change. Both drought and flood are common
hazards in the Delta, which many people believe is the most sensitive to
upstream hydrological change.[5]
Water flow along its course

Table 1: Basic data on country share of Mekong Basin territory and water flows[5]
China Burma (Myanmar) Lao PDR
Total

Thailand

Cambodia

Vietnam

Area in Basin (km2)

165,000
24,000
155,000
65,000
795,000

202,000

184,000

Catchment as % of MRB

21

25

23

20

100

Flow as % of MRB 16

35

18

18

11

100

By taking into account hydrological regimes, physiography land use, and existing,
planned and potential resource developments, the Mekong is divided into six
distinct reaches:[5]
The Mekong in Laos

Reach 1: Lancang Jiang or Upper Mekong River in China. In this part of the river,
the major source of water flowing into the river comes from melting snow on the
Tibetan Plateau. This volume of water is sometimes called the Yunnan
Component and plays an important role in the low-flow hydrology of the lower
mainstream. Even as far downstream as Kratie, the Yunnan Component makes up
almost 30% of the average dry season flow. A major concern is that the on-going
and planned expansion of dams and reservoirs on the Mekong mainstream in
Yunnan could have a significant effect on the low-flow regime of the Lower
Mekong Basin system.[5]

Reach 2: Chiang Saen to Vientiane and Nong Khai. This reach is almost entirely
mountainous and covered with natural forest, although there has been
widespread slash and burn agriculture. Although this reach could hardly be
described as "unspoiled", the hydrological response is perhaps the most natural

and undisturbed in all the Lower Basin. Many hydrological aspects of the Lower
Basin start to change rapidly at the downstream boundary of this reach.[5]

Reach 3: Vientiane and Nong Khai to Pakse. The boundary between Reach 2 and
3 is where the Mekong hydrology starts to change. Reach 2 is dominated in both
wet and dry seasons by the Yunnan Component. Reach 3 is increasingly
influenced by contributions from the large left bank tributaries in Laos, namely
the Nam Ngum, Nam Theun, Nam Hinboun, Se Bang Fai, Se Bang Hieng, and Se
Done rivers. The Mun-Chi river system from the right bank in Thailand enters the
mainstream within this reach.[5]

Reach 4: Pakse to Kratie. The main hydrological contributions to the mainstream

in this reach come from the Se Kong, Se San, and Sre Pok catchments. Together,
these rivers make up the largest hydrological sub-component of the Lower Basin.
Over 25% of the mean annual flow volume to the mainstream at Kratie comes
from these three river basins. They are the key element in the hydrology of this
part of the system, especially to the Tonle Sap flow reversal.[5]

Reach 5: Kratie to Phnom Penh. This reach includes the hydraulic complexities of
the Cambodian floodplain, the Tonle Sap and the Great Lake. By this stage, over
95% of the total flow has entered the Mekong system. The focus turns from
hydrology and water discharge to the assessment of water level, over- bank
storage and flooding and the hydrodynamics that determine the timing, duration
and volume of the seasonal flow reversal into and out of the Great Lake.[5]
Floating market of Cn Th, Mekong Delta.

Reach 6: Phnom Penh to the South China Sea. Here the mainstream divides into a
complex and increasingly controlled and artificial system of branches and canals.
Key features of flow behaviour are tidal influences and salt water intrusion. Every
year, 3550% of this reach is flooded during the rainy season. The impact of road
embankments and similar infrastructure developments on the movement of this
flood water is an increasingly important consequence of development.[5]

Table 2 summarises the mean annual flows along the mainstream. The mean
annual flow entering the lower Mekong from China is equivalent to a relatively
modest 450 mm depth of runoff. Downstream of Vientiane this increases to over
600 mm as the principal left bank tributaries enter the mainstream, mainly the
Nam Ngum and Nam Theun. The flow level falls again, even with the right bank
entry of the Mun-Chi system from Thailand. Although the MunChi basin drains
20% of the lower system, average annual runoff is only 250 mm. Runoff in the

mainstream increases again with the entry from the left bank of the Se Kong from
southern Laos and Se San and Sre Pok from Vietnam and Cambodia.

Table 2: Lower Mekong Mainstream annual flow (1960 to 2004) at selected sites.
[5]
Mainstream site
Catchment area (km2)
as % total Mekong
Discharge m/s

Mean annual flow as

Volume km3

Runoff (mm)

Chiang Saen

189,000

2,700 85

450

19

Luang Prabang

268,000

3,900 123

460

27

Chiang Khan

292,000

4,200 133

460

29

Vientiane

299,000

4,400 139

460

30

Nong Khai

302,000

4,500 142

470

31

Nakhon Phanom
Mukdahan

373,000

391,000

Pakse 545,000

7,100 224

7,600 240

9,700 306

560

610

600

49

52

67

Stung Treng 635,000

13,100

413

650

90

Kratie

646,000

13,200

416

640

91

Basin Total

760,000

14,500

457

600

100

Flows at Chiang Saen entering the Lower Basin from Yunnan make up about 15%
of the wet season flow at Kratie. This rises to 40% during the dry season, even
this far downstream. During the wet season, the proportion of average flow
coming from Yunnan rapidly decreases downstream of Chiang Saen, from 70% to
less than 20% at Kratie. The dry season contribution from Yunnan is much more
significant. The major portion of the balance comes from Laos, which points to a
major distinction in the low-flow hydrology of the river. One fraction comes from
melting snow in China and Tibet and the rest from over-season catchment
storage in the Lower Basin. This has implications for the occurrence of drought
conditions. For example, if runoff from melting snow in any given year is very low,
then flows upstream of Vientiane-Nong Khai would be lower.[5]

In a large river system like the Mekong, seasonal flows can be quite variable from
year to year. Although the pattern of the annual hydrograph is fairly predictable,
its magnitude is not. The average monthly flows along the mainstream are listed

in Table 3, providing an indication of their range and variability from year to year.
At Pakse, for example, flood season flows during August would exceed 20,000
cubic metres per second 9 years out of 10, but exceed 34,000 m/s only 1 year in
ten.[5]

Table 3: Mekong Mainstream monthly discharge 1960 to 2004 (m/s).[5]

Month

Chiang Saen
Luang Prabang
Mukdahan Pakse Kratie

Jan

1,150 1,690 1,760 2,380 2,370 2,800 3,620

Feb

930

1,280 1,370 1,860 1,880 2,170 2,730

Mar

830

1,060 1,170 1,560 1,600 1,840 2,290

Apr

910

1,110 1,190 1,530 1,560 1,800 2,220

May

1,300 1,570 1,720 2,410 2,430 2,920 3,640

Jun

2,460 3,110 3,410 6,610 7,090 8,810 11,200

Jul

4,720 6,400 6,920 12,800

Aug

6,480 9,920 11,000

19,100

20,600

26,200

35,500

Sep

5,510 8,990 10,800

18,500

19,800

26,300

36,700

Oct

3,840 5,750 6,800 10,200

Nov

2,510 3,790 4,230 5,410 5,710 7,780 10,900

Dec

1,590 2,400 2,560 3,340 3,410 4,190 5,710

13,600

10,900

Vientiane

16,600

15,400

Nakhon Phanom

22,200

22,000

There is little evidence from the last 45 years of data of any systematic changes
in the hydrological regime of the Mekong.[5]
River modifications
Main article: Hydropower in the Mekong River Basin

The Mekong is already heavily dammed, with many more dams planned and
under construction.
Natural history
Extirpated from most of its pan-Asian range, Cantor's giant softshell turtle can
still be found along a certain stretch of the Mekong in Cambodia (Khmer called
"Kanteay")

The Mekong basin is one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world. Only the
Amazon boasts a higher level of biodiversity.[3] Biota estimates for the Greater
Mekong Subregion (GMS) include 20,000 plant species, 430 mammals, 1,200
birds, 800 reptiles and amphibians,[7] and an estimated 850 freshwater fish
species (excluding euryhaline species mainly found in salt or brackish water, as
well as introduced species).[8] The most species richness orders among the
freshwater fish in the river basin are cypriniforms (377 species) and catfish (92
species).[9]

New species are regularly described from the Mekong. In 2009, 145 new species
were described from the region, comprising 29 fish species previously unknown
to science, 2 new bird species, 10 reptiles, 5 mammals, 96 plants and 6 new
amphibians.[10] The Mekong Region contains 16 WWF Global 200 ecoregions, the
greatest concentration of ecoregions in mainland Asia.[3]

No other river is home to so many species of very large fish. The biggest include
three species of Probarbus babs, which can grow up to 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) and
weigh 70 kilograms (150 lb), the giant freshwater stingray (Himantura polylepis,
syn. H. chaophraya), which can have a length of up to 4.3 metres (14 ft), the
giant pangasius (Pangasius sanitwongsei), giant barb (Catlocarpio siamensis) and
the endemic Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas). The last three can grow
up to about 3 metres (9 ft 10 in) in length and weigh 300 kilograms (660 lb). All
of these are in serious decline, because of dams, flood control and overfishing.

One species of freshwater dolphin, the Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris),

was once common in the whole of the Lower Mekong but is now very rare, with
only 85 individuals remaining.[11]

Among other wetland mammals that have been living in and around the river are
the smooth-coated otter (Lutra perspicillata) and fishing cat (Prionailurus
viverrinus).

The endangered Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) occurs in small

isolated pockets within the northern Cambodian and Laotian portions of the
Mekong River. The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) once ranged from the
Mekong Delta up the river into Tonle Sap and beyond but is now extinct in the
river, along with being extinct in all of Vietnam and possibly even Cambodia.
The fisheries

Aquatic biodiversity in the Mekong river system is the second highest in the world
after the Amazon.[12][13] The Mekong boasts the most concentrated biodiversity
per hectare of any river.[14]

The commercially valuable fish species in the Mekong are generally divided
between black fish, which inhabit low oxygen, slow moving, shallow waters, and
white fish, which inhabit well oxygenated, fast moving, deeper waters.[15]
People living within the Mekong river system generate many other sources of
food and income from what are often termed other aquatic animals (OAAs) such
as freshwater crabs, shrimp, snakes, turtles, and frogs.

OAAs account for about 20 percent of the total Mekong catch.[3] When fisheries
are discussed, catches are typically divided between the wild capture fishery (i.e.
fish and other aquatic animals caught in their natural habitat), and aquaculture
(fish reared under controlled conditions). Wild capture fisheries play the most
important role in supporting livelihoods. Wild capture fisheries are largely open
access fisheries, which poor rural people can access for food and income.

Broadly, there are three types of fish habitats in the Mekong: i) the river,
comprising all the main tributaries, rivers in the major flood zone and the Tonle
Sap, which altogether yield about 30 percent of wild catch landings; ii) rainfed
wetlands outside the river-floodplain zone, comprising mainly rice paddy in
formerly forested areas and usually inundated to about 50 cm and yielding about
66 percent of wild catch landings; and iii) large water bodies outside the flood
zone, including canals and reservoirs yielding about 4 percent of wild catch
landings.[3]

The Mekong Basin has one of the worlds largest and most productive inland
fisheries.[12][16][17][18] An estimated 2 million tonnes of fish are landed a year,
in addition to almost 500,000 tonnes of other aquatic animals.[19] Aquaculture
yields about 2 million tonnes of fish a year.[15]

Hence, the Lower Mekong Basin yields about 4.5 million tonnes of fish and
aquatic products annually. The total economic value of the fishery is between
USD 3.9 to USD 7 billion a year.[3] Wild capture fisheries alone have been valued
at USD 2 billion a year.[17] This value increases considerably when the multiplier
effect is included, but estimates vary widely.

An estimated 2.56 million tonnes of inland fish and other aquatic animals are
consumed in the lower Mekong every year.[15] Aquatic resources make up
between 47 percent and 80 percent of animal protein in rural diets for people
who live in the Lower Mekong Basin.[17][20][21] Fish are the cheapest source of
animal protein in the region and any decline in the fishery is likely to significantly
impact nutrition, especially among the poor.[12][20][22][23] The size of this
impact has not been established[22]

It is estimated that 40 million rural people, more than two-thirds of the rural
population in the Lower Mekong Basin, are engaged in the wild capture fishery.[3]
Fisheries contribute significantly to a diversified livelihood strategy for many
people, particularly the poor, who are highly dependent on the river and its
resources for their livelihoods.[16][17][21]

They provide a principal form of income for a large number of people and act as a
safety net and coping strategy in times of poor agricultural harvests or other
difficulties.[16][17][21] In Lao PDR alone, 71 percent of rural households (2.9
million people) rely on fisheries for either subsistence or additional cash income.
Around the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia, more than 1.2 million people live in
fishing communes and depend almost entirely on fishing for their livelihoods.[3]
Navigation
Mekong ferry at Neak Loeung, Cambodia
Slow cruise boats in Pakbeng, Laos

For thousands of years the Mekong River has been an important conduit for
people and goods between the many towns situated along its banks. Traditional
forms of trade in small boats linking communities continue today, however the
river is also becoming an important link in international trade routes, connecting
the six Mekong countries to each other, and also to the rest of the world.[3] The
Mekong is still a wild river and navigation conditions vary greatly along its length.
Broadly, navigation of the river is divided between upper and lower Mekong, with
the 'upper' part of the river defined as the stretch north of the Khone Falls in
southern Laos; and the 'lower' part as the stretch below these falls.

Narrower and more turbulent sections of water in the upstream parts of the
Mekong River, coupled with large annual water level variations continue to
present a challenge to navigation. The seasonal variations in water level directly
affect trade in this section of the river. Volumes of trade being shipped decrease
by more than 50 per cent, primarily due to the reduced draughts available during
the low water season (JuneJanuary).[3] Despite these difficulties, the Mekong
River is already an important link in the transit chain between Kunming and

Bangkok with about 300,000 tonnes of goods shipped via this route each year.[3]
The volume of this trade is expected to increase by 811 per cent per year. Port
infrastructure is being expanded to accommodate the expected growth in traffic,
with new facilities planned for Chiang Saen port.[3]

In Laos, 50 and 100 DWT vessels are primarily operated for regional trade, the
main types of cargo carried are timber, agricultural products and construction
materials.[3] Thailand imports a wide variety of products from China, including
vegetables, fruit, agricultural products and fertilisers. The main exports from
Thailand are dried longan, fish oil, rubber products and consumables. Nearly all
the ships carrying cargo to and from Chiang Saen Port are 300 DWT Chinese flag
vessels.[3]

Waterborne trade in the lower Mekong countries of Vietnam and Cambodia has
grown significantly, with trends in container traffic at Phnom Penh port and
general cargo through Can Tho port both showing steady increases until 2009
when a decrease in cargo volumes can be attributed to the global financial crisis
and a subsequent decline in demand for the export of garments to the US.[3] In
2009, Mekong trade received a significant boost with the opening of a new deepwater port at Cai Mep in Vietnam. This new port has generated a renewed focus
on the Mekong River as a trade route. The Cai Mep container terminals can
accom- modate vessels with a draught of 15.2 m, equivalent to the largest
container ships in the world. These mother vessels sail directly to Europe or the
United States, which means that goods can be shipped internationally to and
from Phnom Penh with only a single trans-shipment at Cai Mep.[3]

As an international river, a number of agreements exist between the countries

that share the Mekong to enable trade and passage between them. The most
important of these, which address the full length of the river, are:[3]

Agreement between China and Lao PDR on Freight and Passenger Trans- port
along the LancangMekong River, adopted in November 1994.
Agreement on the Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong
River Basin, Article 9, Freedom of Navigation, 5 April 1995, Chiang Rai.
Hanoi Agreement between Cambodia and Viet Nam on Waterway
Transportation, 13 December 1998.
Agreement between and among the Governments of the Laos, Thailand, and
Vietnam for Facilitation of Cross border Transport of Goods and People, (amended
at Yangon, Burma (Myanmar)), signed in Vientiane, 26 November 1999.

Agreement on Commercial Navigation on LancangMekong River among the

governments of China, Laos, Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand, adopted at
Tachileik, 20 April 2000.
Phnom Penh Agreement between Cambodia and Vietnam on the Transit of
Goods, 7 September 2000.
New Agreement on Waterway Transportation between Vietnam and Cambodia,
signed in Phnom Penh, 17 December 2009.