Global Economics Monthly: A River Runs Through It: U.S.-Japan Environmental Cooperation

Volume IV, Issue VIII, August 2015

The Mekong River is often referred to as the lifeblood of Southeast Asia. It is where economics and environment come together in a region that is increasingly central to Asia’s security and prosperity. Flowing through six countries, the Mekong is a source of food, rice production, and hydropower for over 60 million people. Yet it is also a river under stress due to exponential population growth and insatiable energy demands. This has made it a testing ground for an increasingly important new area of U.S.-Japanese cooperation: environmental policy and sustainable development.

Grace Hearty