INTRODUCTION
From its source in the Tibetan Tanggula mountain range, as the Dza Chu, at the altitude of 5,000 meters, the Mighty River, turbulently burrows through the deep gorges of Yunnan, under the name of Lancang Jiang, continues its way South, bordering Myanmar, Laos and Thailand, where it is worshipped as "the Mother of Waters", or Mekong, receives tributaries from the Annam range, penetrates into Cambodia, divides itself into multiple branches in the Vietnam Delta, and empties itself in the South China sea with nine estuaries, thence its name of "Cuu Long", after a total course of about 4,200 kilometers long . This international river, considered as the lifeblood of Southeast Asia, irrigates rice fields, fertilizes orchards, serves as a vital natural fish supplier, acts as an important waterway, constitutes with its basin and vegetation a biodiversity-rich region and regulates the livelihood of an increasing riparian population recently estimated at 50 millions.
Developing the Mekong River basin to boost regional economic growth has seemed mostly attractive since the River has offered easier access, opportunities for economic cooperation, trade exchange, international investments, foreign aids, expansion of tourism and improvement of communications. Thus, the Mekong River resources mainly its hydro-electric potential, its lumber reserves, its wide wetlands were subjected to utmost exploitation, with disregard to the impacts of such development ventures on the Mekong Basin ecosystem and on the Mekong population. While complete secretive silence about these impacts has been kept in some areas of the basin, evidence of coercive population displacement, demonstrations around a dam construction site, decrease in fish population, uncontrolled logging, frequency in seasonal flooding, water and land pollution from various sources, increase in water-borne diseases, deeper saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta, greater sedimentation in lakes and waterways, inadequate availability of water in the dry season, creation of experimental farming by extensive mangrove deforestation, unhealthy agricultural practices, has been substantiated.
Facing this unrelenting disturbance in the ecological balance of the Mekong River and the upset in the population ways of living, scholars and students of the Mekong River Basin worldwide, the international and regional environment-protection organizations, the inhabitants of the Basin, have voiced their concerns for the promotion of sustainability in all development projects affecting the Mekong Basin and demanded that all development planning should include thorough assessment of possible environmental and human impacts and that existing projects that mostly generated deleterious impacts should be decommissioned and/or modified.
Joining this struggle to preserve the Mekong River ecosystem, "Mekong River" has endorsed the mission to:
contribute its effort to the improvement of the Mekong people's livelihood, traditional lifestyle and in the defense of their rights.
suggest wise methods to preserve the Mekong People living environment, on the basis that all modern technological initiatives should take into account the time-proven living experience of the local population.
inform scientifically about the ecological events in the Mekong River Basin, past and present, so that mistakes in development should not be repeated.
share all type of resources, information, opinions related to the Mekong Basin Development with all parties concerned with an aim to implement Sustainability in development projects of all kind.
welcome and support any constructive ideas to remedy environmental and population impacts resulting from inadequate development projects planning in the Mekong region.
Knowing that we are not alone in this noble mission, we remain open to any suggestions toward successfully accomplishing our objectives, toward universally informing about the plight of the Mekong River and we pledge to be faithful to our promises, just in our judgment, challenging in our adversities, respectful and trustworthy to the Mekong people.
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