MEKONG THE AGONY OF THE GIANT

• Photographer
  Emanuela Colombo, Italy
• Category
  Asia
• Studio
  Emanuela Colombo

The lower Mekong basin is the most productive freshwater fishing region in the world, accounting for about 15 per cent of the world’s catch. Today the nets are empty, the fishermen are desperate, and entire rural villages are on the brink of ruin. Seasonal agriculture is also in crisis. The river level is so low that even the pumps for irrigating the fields don’t reach the water.For sure, this is caused by climate change, But the human interventions along the river’s course should not be underestimated. If this ruinous trend is not somehow interrupted, the Mekong system will soon implode.