Overview

• Hydropower development in the Mekong River is driving the loss of fish populations and fisheries, with one in five fish species facing extinction.
• The Mekong River, home to over 1,100 fish species, supports the world's most productive freshwater fishery, crucial for the region's economy and food security.
• Hydropower dams disrupt river connectivity essential for fish migrations, leading to a decline in fish productivity and threatening the livelihoods of over 5 million people.
• Substituting lost Mekong fish protein with other sources like beef would require significant land conversion and increase greenhouse gas emissions, undermining climate mitigation efforts.
• Conservationists call for coordinated action to develop the river sustainably and reverse the adverse impacts on fish populations.