Asia & Indo-Pacific
Southeast Asia Program

Mekong Policy Project

Reducing Risks in the Mekong Basin

Addressing the regional environmental and social impacts along the Mekong River to improve food security, stability and cross-country relations.

In Southeast Asia Research

As a biodiversity hotspot that is home to more than 60 million people, the Lower Mekong River Basin plays a vital role as the region’s “rice bowl,” the world’s largest freshwater fishery and provider of livelihoods. Stimson’s Mekong Policy Project interacts with a wide range of local and international NGOs, government departments, and academic institutions in addressing environmental, political, and economic challenges in the region.

We lead the discourse on transboundary effects of hydropower dams along the Mekong River, the basin’s significant impacts on regional relations, and the future of water and energy collaboration among a crowded field of regional development frameworks.

Monitoring the Mekong

Maps, Imagery, & Analysis of Impacts on the River

Infographic
Mekong Reservoirs in Yunnan Province, China
More than 100 reservoirs now hold water in China’s portion of the Upper Mekong and impact the Mekong’s natural hydrological cycle.
Brian Eyler • Regan Kwan • Courtney Weatherby
Infographic
Mekong Mainstream Dams
Mainstream Mekong dams have been proven time after time to devastate the river’s fisheries and agricultural processes along its floodplain.
Brian Eyler • Courtney Weatherby
Infographic
2020 Status of Lower Mekong Mainstream and Tributary Dams
More than 200 large dams planned, completed, or under construction in the lower Mekong Basin will deliver severe fragmentation to the river’s ecosystem and devastate downstream fisheries and agricultural practices.
Brian Eyler
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Latest

Explainer
การทำเหมืองแร่โดยไม่ได้รับการควบคุมตามแนวแม่น้ำในแผ่นดินใหญ่ของเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้
ข้อมูลใหม่เผยให้เห็นเหมืองแร่ที่อลหม่านมีมหาศาลไร้การควบคุมตามริมแม่น้ำในเมียนมา, ลาว และกัมพูชา ด้วยเกี่ยวพันต่อสุขภาพ, ความปลอดภัยของชุมชน และระบบนิเวศ
Regan Kwan • Brian Eyler
Explainer
ການຂຸດຄົ້ນ-ປຸງແຕ່ງແຮ່ທີ່ບໍ່ຖືກຕ້ອງ ຢູ່ຕາມແມ່ນໍ້າສາຍຕ່າງໆ ຢູ່ແຜ່ນດິນໃຫຍ່ອາຊີຕາເວັນອອກສຽງໃຕ້ Unregulated Mining Along Rivers in Mainland Southeast Asia (Lao Language)
ຂໍ້ມູນໃໝ່ໄດ້ເປີດເຜີຍໃຫ້ຮູ້ໃນວົງກວ້າງກ່ຽວກັບການຂຸດຄົ້ນ-ປຸງແຕ່ງແຮ່ທີ່ບໍ່ຖຶກຕ້ອງຕາມແມ່ນໍ້າສາຍຕ່າງໆ ຢູ່ໃນປະເທດພະມ້າ, ປະເທດລາວ, ແລະ ປະເທດກໍາປູເຈຍ ເຊິ່ງມີຜົນກະທົບຕໍ່ສຸຂະພາບ ແລະ ຄວາມປອດໄພຂອງຊຸມຊົນ ແລະ ລະບົບນິເວດ
Regan Kwan • Brian Eyler
Data Tool
Mining in Mainland Southeast Asia – River Basins Dashboard
This interactive dashboard visualizes and analyzes the impact of mining operations on rivers in mainland Southeast Asia
Regan Kwan • Brian Eyler
Explainer
Unregulated Mining Along Rivers in Mainland Southeast Asia
New data unveils the huge scale of unregulated mining along rivers in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia with implications for the health and safety of communities and ecosystems.
Regan Kwan • Brian Eyler
Commentary
Trump’s New Critical Minerals Commitments: Opportunities and Concerns
Recent U.S. expansion of critical minerals cooperation in ASEAN and the broader Indo-Pacific is a strategic opportunity, not without challenges
Regan Kwan • Courtney Weatherby • Brian Eyler
Field Note
Toxic Rare Earth Mining is Ruining Mekong Tributaries in the Golden Triangle
Community activists and experts in Chiang Rai, Thailand are calling for urgent attention to a looming health and environmental crisis plaguing their rivers and floodplains
Brian Eyler • Regan Kwan
Issue Brief
Impacts of Cambodia’s Funan Techo Canal and Implications for Mekong Cooperation
How a new Belt and Road project in Cambodia could increase water and flood risks in Vietnam and weaken the 1995 Mekong Agreement
Brian Eyler • Regan Kwan • Courtney Weatherby
Resource
Mekong Floodpulse
An animated visualization of the Mekong Floodpulse and Tonle Sap Expansion
Brian Eyler • Regan Kwan
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News & Commentary

Commentary
Trump’s New Critical Minerals Commitments: Opportunities and Concerns
Recent U.S. expansion of critical minerals cooperation in ASEAN and the broader Indo-Pacific is a strategic opportunity, not without challenges
Regan Kwan • Courtney Weatherby • Brian Eyler
Op-Ed
There’s still hope for the Mekong
China inevitably has become a major focus of concern about extreme drought in the lower half of the river
Richard Cronin
Op-Ed
The struggle for the soul of the Mekong River
The Mekong's natural flow and the heartbeat of the Tonle Sap are being undermined by wet season water restrictions from dams in China and in downstream Mekong countries.
Brian Eyler • Courtney Weatherby
Commentary
Discussing China’s Dams on the Mekong
Stimson scholars consider China's dams on the Mekong, evidence of their impact downstream, policy motivations, and more
Brian Eyler • Yun Sun
Op-Ed
In the Mekong, a Confluence of Calamities
Drought coupled with the coronavirus pandemic spells danger for food security.
John Lichtefeld • Courtney Weatherby
Op-Ed
Science Shows Chinese Dams Are Devastating the Mekong
New data demonstrates a devastating effect on downstream water supplies that feed millions of people.
Brian Eyler
Commentary
Vietnam’s Evolving Strategy for Surviving COVID-19
Despite a quick response during their initial outbreak, Vietnam could not avoid a second outbreak and the need to take more aggressive measures.
John Lichtefeld
Commentary
COVID-19 in Southeast Asia: outbreak delayed but developing
ASEAN countries start taking measures to mitigate an outbreak as cases begin to surge, despite an initial delay
Courtney Weatherby
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Events

  • Past
  • Event
Testing the Waters: Unregulated Mining in the Mekong Region
  • November 24, 2025
  • Past
  • Event
Chasing Giants: Saving the World’s Largest Fish
  • April 12, 2023
  • Past
  • Event
Mekong Multilateralism & the US-ASEAN Special Summit
  • May 10, 2022
  • Past
  • Event
Troubling the Water: A Dying Lake and A Vanishing World in Cambodia
  • March 30, 2022
  • Past
  • Event
Mekong-U.S. Partnership Track 1.5 Policy Dialogue on Energy & Infrastructure Summary Report Launch
  • December 16, 2021
  • Past
  • Event
Natural Resources Safeguards and Security as a Part of the Indo-Pacific Vision
  • March 2, 2020
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