Part 5/15:

Environmental and Social Consequences

Despite these benefits, the environmental and social impacts of dam proliferation are profound and increasingly contentious. One of the most alarming issues is the drastic decline in fisheries within the Mekong River basin. The Mekong, which supports the livelihoods of nearly 70 million people in Southeast Asia, is experiencing a projected 40 to 80% decline in fish stocks by 2040—an economic and nutritional disaster.