Developing countries in the Mekong face a hard tradeoff. Their communities need more access to affordable energy for quality of life and economic growth, but they also need imminent action on climate change.
Many states have found a compromise in the Mekong’s large river basin and its untapped potential for hydropower — a source of carbon-free, cheap electricity. Stored in large dams, electricity is generated by using flowing water to spin a turbine connected to a power generator.
There are now over 90 hydropower dams in the lower basin alone. Not only does hydropower produce fewer CO2 emissions than fossil fuels, but the water used in electricity production is returned to the river afterwards.
