Magnificent Mekong

Earlier this year I was lucky enough to visit the Mekong Delta in Southern Vietnam. The Mekong River flows for 4,350-4,900 km from the Tibetan Plateau through China, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to the South China Sea.

It supports transport and agriculture in the fertile Mekong Delta where the majority of Vietnam’s rice is grown. The regular flooding enriches the soil and four rice harvests a year are possible.

It also an important route for trade and I saw many shipping containers is addition to small fishing and tourist boats. I loved the energy of the water, the broadness of the horizon and the fresh breeze.

It took almost two hours to drive from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) to the town of Mo Thon where we took a boat over to Unicorn Island (Thoi Son), (bottom right on the map). It is one of the four mythical-creature-named islands (Dragon, Turtle, Phoenix, Unicorn) on the river, famous for its honey farms, fruit orchards and coconut candy workshops.

Whilst clearly a well trodden tourist circuit the island held much charm with gentle people, fruit trees, orchids flowing in natural abundance and shaded paths and waterways.

I think my smile speaks volumes.

But there are also many complex issues at play. Reduced rainfall is affecting the region's agriculture and fishing and severely threatening the rice harvest. In addition, hydro electricity plants, with their 'green credentials', constructed upstream in China, are negatively affecting the amount and regularity of flooding and impoverishing the soil in the Delta. This issue is explored in detail in an article by The Royal Society for Asian Affairs (click here).

This is a challenging and critical time for the region's delicate ecosystem.