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A brief intro on the mekong river.
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Mekongriver
Loh Ang (19) Tony Ng (20)
1. Geography2. History3. Benefits and Problems4. Impact5. Different Views6. Environmental Aspects7. References
Content
Mekong River
A trans-boundary river12th longest river in the world7th longest river in AsiaLength: 4350 kmDrainage Area: 795,000 km2
Annual discharge of water: 457 km3
Geography
Runs through
China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia & Vietnam
Source of Mekong River
A glacier stream
Found in the North side of Guosangmucha Mountain (China)
Elevation of 5514 m
Lasagongma Spring
Mouth of Mekong River
Is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean
Encompasses an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around 3,500,000 km2
South China Sea
Tributaries and Distributaries
Tributaries Distributaries
Nam Ta Tien
Nam Ou Ham Luong
Nam Soung Co Chien
Nam Khan Bassac
Known as Dzi Chu
Steep Descends
Swift Rapids
Upper Course
Forms as Mekong River tumbles from the Tibetan plateau
Makes the Mekong River one of the strongest rivers in the world (Toptenz)
Rapids
Known as Latsan Chiang
Place where Myanmar, Thailand and Laos converge
Middle Course
Area of around 950,000 km2
Overlaps the mountains of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand
Designates the confluence of the Ruak River and the Mekong River
Golden Triangle
● Used for irrigation
● One third of the combined population for Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam
Lower Course
The largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia
An ecological hot spot that was designated as a UNESCO biosphere in 1997
From November to May: Cambodia's dry season, the Tonlé Sap drains into the Mekong River at Phnom PenhWhen the year's heavy rains begin in June: the Tonlé Sap backs up to form an enormous lake
Tônlé Sap
Is the region in southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries
Encompasses an area of about 39 000 km2
Recently been dubbed as a 'biological treasure trove'
Mekong Delta
The highlights of the Mekong delta
Central markets in the delta
People can buy fruit and vegetables from local production
The goods are sold directly from the boats
Owners hang the available products on long poles, so thatpeople can see what’s on offer from far away
Small sampans serve as mobile cafés
Floating Markets
History
Earliest known settlement: Ban Chiang (2100 BC)
Earliest recorded civilisation : Indianised-Khmer culture of Funan (1st Century)
Last great Indianised state: Khmer Empire of Angkor
The French used this river to take control of the region
History
Benefits
Problems
Benefits
Problems
Provides Cambodia with water via the annual floods
Tonle Sap is a tourist attraction
Its high-quality water can fetch a high price
Benefits
Floods Major Cities
2000: Floods killed more than 480 people across the Delta region
2001: More than 300 people died when the Mekong overflowed its banks
2011: At least 150 people in Cambodia and Southern Vietnam died due to Mekong flooding and flash floods
Problems
Impact
60 million people live at the Mekong Lower Basin
40% live at the 15 km corridor of Mekong River
People
The Mekong River acts as the region's highway and provides access to trade, food security and livelihoods
How are their lives affected?
Different Views
Most feel that it is worth it to visit Mekong River (Tripadvisor)
People’s View
Important place for buddhist temples such as Bén Lúc temple
Religious View
Students are being educated on the benefits and problems created by the Mekong River and how to preserve the natural environment of Mekong River
Educational View
The floating market and the Mekong Delta are famous tourist attraction that boost the economy of the region
Economical view
Environmental Aspect
Environmental Aspect
The Mekong River supports many species of life such as fish serving as a migration path
Many animals live at the Mekong River drainage basin
● Forests
❖ Great Mekong Subregion lost just under a third of its forest cover between 1973 and 2009
● Freshwater❖ Mekong river basin contains one of the most
productive and diverse river systems on Earth
Ecosystem
More than 1,100 freshwater species of fish are found in Mekong River
Second only to the Amazon River in terms of fish biodiversity
Organisms include the last remaining populations of the Irrawaddy dolphin, giant freshwater stingray, and the Mekong giant catfish
Organisms
Waste material discharged by factories pollute and threaten the life in Mekong River
Construction of big hydropower dams on the Mekong River may be a great threat to the future of the river
Threats
● “River”, Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River
● “Mekong”, Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong
● “South China Sea”, Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_China_Sea
● “Mekong River”, tripadvisor, http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293921-d325305-Reviews-Mekong_River-Vietnam.html
● “Greater Mekong”, WWF, http://worldwildlife.org/places/greater-mekong
● “Advantages of Mekong River in Phnom Penh”, Sunnarin’s blog, http://sunnarin.wordpress.com/2011/01/17/advantages-of-mekong-river-in-phnom-penh/
References
References
● “The Source of the Mekong River, Qinghai, China”, http://www.shangri-la-river-expeditions.com/1stdes/mekong/mekongsource/mekongsource.html
● “Tonle Sap”, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonl%C3%A9_Sap
● “Physiography”, Mekong River Commission, http://www.mrcmekong.org/the-mekong-basin/physiography/
● “Mekong Delta”, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekong_Delta
● “Mekong Delta: Wonderful Water World”http://www.mekong-delta-travel-guide.com/en/activities-attractions/floating-markets
References
● “Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia)”, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Triangle_(Southeast_Asia)
● “Top ten most powerful rivers in the world”, Toptenz, http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-most-powerful-rivers-in-the-world.php#wux1xeTdQmr3kVzj.99
● “Ecosystems in the Greater Mekong: past trends, current
status, possible futures”, WWF,
http://wwf.panda.org/?208456/Ecosystems-in-the-Greater-Mekong-past-trends-current-status-possible-futures
References
Images from:● http://environews.ph/biodiversity/dugong-irrawaddy-dolphin-f
ace-extinction-in-phl/
● www.relievearth.com
● www.crusaders.biz
● http://www.shangri-la-river-expeditions.com/1stdes/mekong/mekongsource/mekongsource.html
● commons.wikimedia.org
● mekong-river-geography-ispl.blogspot.com
● http://wallpapers.free-review.net/19_~_Home_Environment_-_desktop_background.htm
References
Images from:● http://www.lifelibertythepursuit.com/organisms-of-our-own-cre
ation/630/
● mrbelloblog.com
● www.marketingpilgrim.com
● www.pickywallpapers.com
● newsamnews.ioe.ac.uk
● interaction.dundee.ac.uk
● www.hdwallpaperstop.com
● footage.shutterstock.com
● footage.shutterstock.com
● www.123rf.com
