ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces a general resource perspective on the Mekong River, followed by a description of hydropower dam development and future hydropower potential on the Mekong River. It provides an introduction to the Xayaburi hydropower dam, and its potential impact on Cambodia and Vietnam. The Mekong River is the longest river in Southeast Asia, and the tenth largest river in the world. The river originates in the Tibetan Plateau of China, flowing through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia, until finally entering the sea in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. The chapter provides a discussion of the physical and material conditions associated with the development of hydropower dams on the Mekong River, and particularly of the Xayaburi dam. Finally, the analysis of the biophysical and material conditions in Cambodia and Vietnam clarifies that both countries' governments face competing interests over hydropower development and their impacts on natural resource use.
