Forecast Mekong: Navigating Changing Waters
The great deltas of the world are among our most heavily populated and
agriculturally productive landscapes, yet these low-lying coastal areas are
extremely vulnerable to climate change and development impacts. An
international challenge is to transform these vulnerable ecosystems to
resilient ones. Through comparative studies and ecological forecasting,
such as what is being done with the Mississippi and Mekong Rivers, we can
work towards balancing natural landscape functions with economic
development to produce healthy ecosystems and sustainable deltas. Forecast
Mekong is part of the U.S. Department of State’s Lower Mekong Initiative,
which was launched in 2008 by Secretary Clinton and the Foreign Ministers
of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam to enhance U.S. engagement with the
Lower Mekong countries in the areas of environment, health, education and
infrastructure.
The U.S. Geological Survey is using research and data from the Mekong River
Delta in Southeast Asia to compare restoration, conservation, and
management efforts there with those done in other major river deltas, such
as the Mississippi River Delta in the United States. The project provides a
forum to engage regional partners in the Mekong Basin countries to share
data and support local research efforts. Ultimately, Forecast Mekong will
lead to more informed decisions about how to make the Mekong and
Mississippi deltas resilient in the face of climate change, economic
stresses, and other impacts.