Lower Mekong Basin

The Lower Mekong Basin is a region in Southeast Asia that encompasses the lower course of the Mekong River. This river is the longest in Southeast Asia and the seventh longest in Asia, originating in China and flowing through Tibet, Yunnan, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam before emptying into the South China Sea.1

The lower portion of the Mekong, which forms part of the international border between Laos and Thailand, flows through Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. This area accounts for about three-fourths of the river's drainage basin. Major cities like Vientiane and Phnom Penh are situated on its banks. The lower basin is characterized by diverse landscapes, including the Khorat Plateau, eastern highlands, southern lowlands, southern highlands, and a delta in southern Vietnam. The climate is warm year-round, with distinct wet and dry seasons influenced by monsoons, making water management crucial for agriculture, particularly rice cultivation.1