ABSTRACT
The human impact upon water resources has increased dramatically all over the world during the last several decades (Vörösmarty, 2000). The Mekong River is one of the few large river basins yet to be irreversibly modified by large-scale infrastructure. While the first dams in a planned cascade have been built in the upper-middle reaches in China, flow regimes in the lower reaches of the mainstream are still, essentially, natural (MRC, 2005). These conditions may not last much longer. The Mekong River Basin is facing the prospects of a major growth in infrastructure projects as surrounding economies continue to expand. Huge hydropower dams as well as diversions for irrigation are planned throughout the basin, some on tributaries and others on the mainstream (e.g. King et al, 2007).
