What do you think?
Rate this book
Last Days of the Mighty Mekong
Long known for its natural beauty, remoteness, and abundance of wildlife, the Mekong river basin runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It is home to more than seventy million people and has for centuries been one of the world’s richest agricultural zones. Today however it is undergoing profound changes. China’s development policies aim to interconnect the region through high-speed transportation networks and to transform its people into modern urbanized consumers. By 2025 a series of dams will have harnessed the river’s energy, bringing an end to its natural cycles and cutting off food supplies for over half of the basin’s population. Yet there has been little reporting on this monumental change.
In The Last Days of the Mighty Mekong, Brian Eyler takes us on a revealing tour of the Mekong and those who depend on its resources. He travels from the river’s headwaters in China to its delta in Southern Vietnam. Along the way he meets the region’s diverse peoples, from villagers to community leaders to politicians and policymakers. Through conversations with them, he reveals how China’s expansionist policies are drastically—and often literally—reshaping environments. He also highlights the work being done by locals and international groups to save the Mekong and its fragile ecosystem. Eyler makes the case that there are environmentally-sound solutions, but argues these can only come about from serious cooperation and an increased pressure from the international community.
In The Last Days of the Mighty Mekong, Brian Eyler takes us on a revealing tour of the Mekong and those who depend on its resources. He travels from the river’s headwaters in China to its delta in Southern Vietnam. Along the way he meets the region’s diverse peoples, from villagers to community leaders to politicians and policymakers. Through conversations with them, he reveals how China’s expansionist policies are drastically—and often literally—reshaping environments. He also highlights the work being done by locals and international groups to save the Mekong and its fragile ecosystem. Eyler makes the case that there are environmentally-sound solutions, but argues these can only come about from serious cooperation and an increased pressure from the international community.
365 pages, Paperback
Published February 15, 2019
45 people are currently reading
368 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 24, 2020
Review from a young person who grew up in the Mekong Delta.
This is a fascinating book about the Mekong regions. The book followed the Mekong River from its origin Tibet to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. In a book launch, the writer mentioned that he wanted to raise the voice of under-represented people. I could see that when he usually started a chapter with stories of the local people, the beauty of the landscape, the culture, history and political context then further discuss environmental threats and related social problems. You may encounter the topic of tourism impact, dam politics, indigenous people rights, relocation and resettlement, transboundary resource management and agricultural policy during the book.
When first holding the book in my hand, I was eager to jump into the last chapter writing about the Mekong Delta with curiosity to see how much insight I can learn about my own region written by a Western writer. I was astonished by his observation, stories and the delving into the history of the Mekong Delta. After finishing some other chapters, I looked up the writer and Stimson Group, and was surprised that I have accidentally attended their seminar in Can Tho in 2017 where they talked about dams in Laos and how Vietnam should invest in renewable energy to transform the future energy structure in Laos. It was an interesting coincidence, from the event to the book I all learnt a lot.
I believe even for someone who does not have a particular interest in environmental problems rather than travelling, this is also a great book for them. I never get bored with the diverse beauty, rich culture and cultural freshwater resource of the Mekong Delta, and the book makes me want to explore the rest of the Mekong Basin upstream.
This is a fascinating book about the Mekong regions. The book followed the Mekong River from its origin Tibet to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. In a book launch, the writer mentioned that he wanted to raise the voice of under-represented people. I could see that when he usually started a chapter with stories of the local people, the beauty of the landscape, the culture, history and political context then further discuss environmental threats and related social problems. You may encounter the topic of tourism impact, dam politics, indigenous people rights, relocation and resettlement, transboundary resource management and agricultural policy during the book.
When first holding the book in my hand, I was eager to jump into the last chapter writing about the Mekong Delta with curiosity to see how much insight I can learn about my own region written by a Western writer. I was astonished by his observation, stories and the delving into the history of the Mekong Delta. After finishing some other chapters, I looked up the writer and Stimson Group, and was surprised that I have accidentally attended their seminar in Can Tho in 2017 where they talked about dams in Laos and how Vietnam should invest in renewable energy to transform the future energy structure in Laos. It was an interesting coincidence, from the event to the book I all learnt a lot.
I believe even for someone who does not have a particular interest in environmental problems rather than travelling, this is also a great book for them. I never get bored with the diverse beauty, rich culture and cultural freshwater resource of the Mekong Delta, and the book makes me want to explore the rest of the Mekong Basin upstream.
May 16, 2021
Một cuốn sách hay và đẹp, thực tế và thơ.
Đẹp và thơ bởi dòng Mekong được soi chiếu không chỉ dưới góc nhìn vật chất thuần túy (một nguồn nước, một nguồn điện hay một nguồn dinh dưỡng) mà còn dưới góc nhìn của một dòng văn hóa, dòng lịch sử, giữa những kết nối người-người, người-thiên nhiên, giữa chiều kích của vật chất và tinh thần,...
Dựa trên nền tảng đó, tác giả chia sẻ một cái nhìn đủ rộng và đủ sâu về dòng Mekong, về những nền văn minh và kinh tế gắn liền với nó, chỉ ra những vấn đề có tính hệ thống và những gợi ý thực tế. Tác giả khéo léo trình bày các vấn đề kinh tế chính trị của các đất nước dọc chiều Mekong, nêu rõ quan điểm cục bộ sai lầm, thiển cận và vị kỉ của từng quốc gia trong cách đối xử với dòng sông như một tài nguyên vật chất. Trong bức tranh chồng chéo những vấn đề đó, tác giả vẫn nỗ lực tìm kiếm và chia sẻ về những cá nhân, những định hướng mới đang mang lại tia hi vọng cho Mekong. Hay và thực tế ở đó.
Nếu nhìn sâu hơn, đây không chỉ là câu chuyện của Mekong. Những con sông chảy qua đất nước này đâu đó đều mang những "câu chuyện" tương tự.
Tôi bỗng giật mình hiểu rõ hơn, mỗi chữ điện tôi dùng không đơn thuần là một đơn vị năng lượng từ sức nước chuyển thành, mà nó còn mang theo sự câu chuyện của một làng/một bản/ một cộng đồng bị di dời, mang theo những giá trị văn hóa bị đe dọa, những thua thiệt mất mát của nhiều người, những đàn cá không về được nơi sinh sản, những khu rừng nguyên sinh bị cắt trụi khi xây đập, những hệ lụy của vùng đồng bằng (nhiễm mặn, nhiễm độc, sụt lún...). Cái giá thực sự (the true cost) của mỗi chữ điện tôi dùng không nằm trên hóa đơn hàng tháng.
Hiểu vậy, tôi biết mình làm được gì, để thấy mình không là một kẻ đọc cưỡi ngựa xem hoa. Còn câu chuyện hệ thống, trong chặng đường trưởng thành, tôi xin được khiêm tốn góp phần dựa trên những hiểu biết của mình, khi có thể.
Đẹp và thơ bởi dòng Mekong được soi chiếu không chỉ dưới góc nhìn vật chất thuần túy (một nguồn nước, một nguồn điện hay một nguồn dinh dưỡng) mà còn dưới góc nhìn của một dòng văn hóa, dòng lịch sử, giữa những kết nối người-người, người-thiên nhiên, giữa chiều kích của vật chất và tinh thần,...
Dựa trên nền tảng đó, tác giả chia sẻ một cái nhìn đủ rộng và đủ sâu về dòng Mekong, về những nền văn minh và kinh tế gắn liền với nó, chỉ ra những vấn đề có tính hệ thống và những gợi ý thực tế. Tác giả khéo léo trình bày các vấn đề kinh tế chính trị của các đất nước dọc chiều Mekong, nêu rõ quan điểm cục bộ sai lầm, thiển cận và vị kỉ của từng quốc gia trong cách đối xử với dòng sông như một tài nguyên vật chất. Trong bức tranh chồng chéo những vấn đề đó, tác giả vẫn nỗ lực tìm kiếm và chia sẻ về những cá nhân, những định hướng mới đang mang lại tia hi vọng cho Mekong. Hay và thực tế ở đó.
Nếu nhìn sâu hơn, đây không chỉ là câu chuyện của Mekong. Những con sông chảy qua đất nước này đâu đó đều mang những "câu chuyện" tương tự.
Tôi bỗng giật mình hiểu rõ hơn, mỗi chữ điện tôi dùng không đơn thuần là một đơn vị năng lượng từ sức nước chuyển thành, mà nó còn mang theo sự câu chuyện của một làng/một bản/ một cộng đồng bị di dời, mang theo những giá trị văn hóa bị đe dọa, những thua thiệt mất mát của nhiều người, những đàn cá không về được nơi sinh sản, những khu rừng nguyên sinh bị cắt trụi khi xây đập, những hệ lụy của vùng đồng bằng (nhiễm mặn, nhiễm độc, sụt lún...). Cái giá thực sự (the true cost) của mỗi chữ điện tôi dùng không nằm trên hóa đơn hàng tháng.
Hiểu vậy, tôi biết mình làm được gì, để thấy mình không là một kẻ đọc cưỡi ngựa xem hoa. Còn câu chuyện hệ thống, trong chặng đường trưởng thành, tôi xin được khiêm tốn góp phần dựa trên những hiểu biết của mình, khi có thể.
April 5, 2019
(full disclosure- I have known the author for several years) This book tells the story of the threats facing the Mekong region from climate change and massive human intervention, jumping off from the Stimson Center's long-time work on the threat of the huge number of proposed dams to the region's ecosystem. While the book is incredibly informative, what makes it a truly worthwhile read is the vivid portrait it paints of the people and places in lesser known corners of southeast asia.
June 15, 2023
THIS BOOK WILL FOREVER SET IN MY MIND
I do not have words to review it because I simply cannot. This book is a dedication to the glory Mekong. From the glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau and in China, before tumbling down through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia and emptying into the Mekong's Delta.
Mekong is having its dying breaths, day-by-day. With trans-boundary institutions weakened in recent years; regional economic integration characterized by the top-down roll-out of infrastructure and civil society opposition ever more squeezed, it is difficult not to conclude that the river as a mighty, unique ecology, and as home to a dazzling array of rebel cultures is in fact in its last days.
I would like to bring the last paragraph of this book here by not quoting Brian Eyler's words himself but by one of his colleagues'.
I do not have words to review it because I simply cannot. This book is a dedication to the glory Mekong. From the glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau and in China, before tumbling down through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia and emptying into the Mekong's Delta.
Mekong is having its dying breaths, day-by-day. With trans-boundary institutions weakened in recent years; regional economic integration characterized by the top-down roll-out of infrastructure and civil society opposition ever more squeezed, it is difficult not to conclude that the river as a mighty, unique ecology, and as home to a dazzling array of rebel cultures is in fact in its last days.
I would like to bring the last paragraph of this book here by not quoting Brian Eyler's words himself but by one of his colleagues'.
Dr. Ni said, "The river itself doesn't have an Upper or Lower Mekong. The system is one. Without the upper part of the Mekong River, there is no delta. Without activity along the channel, through Laos, through Thailand, to Cambodia there is no rich biodiversity of the Mekong. I like to compare the river to a tree. The stem itself doesn’t grow alone. It grows because of the canopy, the leaves, the roots. When you think about the Mekong River, you should think of it like a tree. If it's just a stem, then the people in China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia or Vietnam think that the part that belongs to them is the most important. But the part that belongs to them is not at all the most important. If you cut all the branches of the tree, the stem will die. If you cut the roots of the tree, the stem will die. So, if we are to preserve this mighty Mekong, we have to look at the all the parts of the river as connected to one system," he concluded. Unless we begin today to see the river and the landscapes around it as a connected system and act jointly for its conservation, the Mighty Mekong's last days are here and now.
June 22, 2020
Expertly researched, well organized and thoughtfully written. I have great respect for the lengths the author went to in order to tell the full story of the Mekong across all of the countries and issues it intersects. As someone who just moved back to the USA from Vietnam, I originally picked up this book to invoke memories of a country I miss dearly. The author’s depiction of the people and scenery throughout the Mekong is spot on and makes the book very enjoyable to read. Each section was a near perfect balance of technical science and artful storytelling. To anyone interested in learning more about the Mekong or SE Asia in general, I couldn’t recommend this book enough!
August 15, 2022
A very interesting book. Proof reading seems to have been a bit slipshod though - there were lots of printing errors throughout, especially in chapter nine.
A sad reflection on the pillage of nature by greedy humankind.
A sad reflection on the pillage of nature by greedy humankind.
December 23, 2019
This book moved through issues related to the Mekong by traveling from the headwaters in China, through the mainstem in Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia to the delta in Vietnam. This intuitive framework worked well, and upon this template I've learned about SE Asian history, culture, conflict, and issues surrounding the development of hydropower and commerce within the basin. I'm grateful for this clear and informative introductory overview of a complex river system.
September 21, 2019
A brilliant and fascinating book, this is an in-depth look at an area of the world with which many of us are unfamiliar. It is a seminal work for the Mekong and the countries through which it flows, and is a knowledgeable and intelligent look at issues of life and death for people and for the waters necessary for life in this part of the world. It is masterfully written, giving clarity and insight into what is happening, as well as objectively describing how and why events and situations are occurring that will change life here forever. It is scholarly and scientific, yet at the same time very accessible and easy to read for persons who don't know much about this part of the world, and in particular, this river system and its people. The personal stories experienced by the author as he traveled here and researched what is happening make the book an entertaining and fascinating read, lifting it high above what one would normally expect of a book on this subject. He gives life and personality to the people and their cultures, and imparts to the rest of the world their worth and importance. At the same time, he does not hesitate to recognize and highlight the commercialism, greed, and so-called 'progress' that are destroying the life and people who have successfully existed here for thousands of years. If there is any book that should be read about this part of the world, it is this one. Kudos and high praise to the author for his years of research, travel, insight, intelligence, and the care and concern that he brings forth to enlighten the rest of the world.
April 25, 2021
Oh “dam”! What an excellent book! This was loaned to me by a friend who works in environmental rights in the Mekong region; I’m very grateful I got to read it.
The book starts in Yunnan, China at the start of the Mekong river and works its way chapter by chapter down to the Mekong delta in Vietnam, explaining in vibrant detail the diverse cultures that live off the river and the environmental challenges faced by each country in the Mekong.
The author describes how damming in the Mekong’s upstream causes colossal environmental issues throughout the entire river system that are exacerbated by other practices such as sand dredging and overfishing. He then describes steps that can be taken to reverse the rapid decline of a river whose natural bounty benefits hundreds of millions of people.
I think the average person (especially a city-dweller like me) lacks knowledge of how nature actually works to balance itself and create ecological harmony. I learned so much from this book: like how floods are actually a natural part of a river’s life cycle and can be good, flushing sediment and nutrients downriver.
Well researched and accessible, I would recommend this book to anyone with a connection to the Mekong region/ South East Asia or anyone who is curious about this unique and very special part of the world. It’s very easy to read and filled to the brim with interesting and shocking facts.
The book starts in Yunnan, China at the start of the Mekong river and works its way chapter by chapter down to the Mekong delta in Vietnam, explaining in vibrant detail the diverse cultures that live off the river and the environmental challenges faced by each country in the Mekong.
The author describes how damming in the Mekong’s upstream causes colossal environmental issues throughout the entire river system that are exacerbated by other practices such as sand dredging and overfishing. He then describes steps that can be taken to reverse the rapid decline of a river whose natural bounty benefits hundreds of millions of people.
I think the average person (especially a city-dweller like me) lacks knowledge of how nature actually works to balance itself and create ecological harmony. I learned so much from this book: like how floods are actually a natural part of a river’s life cycle and can be good, flushing sediment and nutrients downriver.
Well researched and accessible, I would recommend this book to anyone with a connection to the Mekong region/ South East Asia or anyone who is curious about this unique and very special part of the world. It’s very easy to read and filled to the brim with interesting and shocking facts.
Read
April 9, 2020Climate change -> Salinity intrusion in Mekong area -> Impact on about 18 million residents -> Affect social development of many more.
These residents come from different parts of SEA, nurtured with different cultures and mindsets yet with very little knowledge of why the Mekong River has been minimized and weaken their income due to political competition and lack of communications.
These people's survival depends on the Mighty Mekong and how would they live if being without the resources offered by the River? Perhaps, the best solution so far is to create better education for the younger generation who will be vulnerable the most and provide more career training for the current one so that they can have better jobs with more earnings.
More social benefits can also help reduce the scenario of grandparents raising grandchildren when parents are living away in cities. The scenario is not encouraged as it might cause mental and physical stresses as well as finance issues.
These residents come from different parts of SEA, nurtured with different cultures and mindsets yet with very little knowledge of why the Mekong River has been minimized and weaken their income due to political competition and lack of communications.
These people's survival depends on the Mighty Mekong and how would they live if being without the resources offered by the River? Perhaps, the best solution so far is to create better education for the younger generation who will be vulnerable the most and provide more career training for the current one so that they can have better jobs with more earnings.
More social benefits can also help reduce the scenario of grandparents raising grandchildren when parents are living away in cities. The scenario is not encouraged as it might cause mental and physical stresses as well as finance issues.
January 13, 2021
Just finished reading this book. It gave me an overview of what is going on in the Mekong River at the moment. We all know about the damn on China and Laos but we don't really acknowledge its influence on the locals, especially the ones whose lives depend strongly on the river. Each chapter shows different stories about the Akha ethnic group, fishermen on Tonle Sap, or locals in the Mekong Delta, etc. facing difficulties because of many reasons related to the damn, the greedy, and the misunderstanding. It is not a bright future for the Mekong after all but we have time to fix it.
One point made me confuse as the writer mention why Vietnamese live on the Tonle Sap, which is quite different from what I know (they suppose to move out of Vietnam because of the Vietnam war, not because of the civil war, may be I was lost in translation as I only read the Vietnamese translation of this book).
One point made me confuse as the writer mention why Vietnamese live on the Tonle Sap, which is quite different from what I know (they suppose to move out of Vietnam because of the Vietnam war, not because of the civil war, may be I was lost in translation as I only read the Vietnamese translation of this book).
August 7, 2020
The author has long-way experience and critical thoughts on the Mekong river and the Zomia highland. He brought to us the new challenges to the minority ethnic people in the area as well as the eco-system. With the structure of the content, introducing from history of the land, to the "owner" and culture, to the impact of centralized states to the highland, the reader can feel the losses to Mekong River.
The river is dying, not because of the Chinese influence, but also the misunderstanding of the neighbouring countries. With long history of conflict among the countries and even the pressure of economic development inside each country, it's hard to keep the river flowing forever.
The river is dying, not because of the Chinese influence, but also the misunderstanding of the neighbouring countries. With long history of conflict among the countries and even the pressure of economic development inside each country, it's hard to keep the river flowing forever.
September 5, 2019
A comprehensive account of the threats to the Mekong River from the Himalayas down to the Mekong Delta. A clearly well researched book that intersperses history and anecdotal stories from the author’s travels in the region. A must-read for those interested in the region.
August 14, 2023
I was interested in this book as I’ve been close to the river’s headwaters and delta. The headwater area is amazing as three major rivers flow in opposite directions in adjacent valleys – the source of the Yangtze that flows northwest, the Mekong that flows southeast, and the Salween also flowing southeast. Three major rivers flowing in parallel valleys.
What a crazy river. It absconded another river by splitting it in two using the lower portion as a second channel to the ocean and the upper to flow backwards during the monsoons filling Tonle Sap in Cambodia.
This is an economics book wrapped around the history and future of the river. It flows from the upper reaches, chapter by chapter, down to the delta. The history of the areas I know as interesting. Conservation is the theme that exudes the book but tomorrow doesn’t look good for the river.
Dams have flourished in the upper Mekong and are being build down river too. This holds back water reducing downriver flows need by fish and plants while sediment is captured behind dams so it doesn’t flow to the delta causing the delta to sink. Biodiversity is declining. Rising ocean levels, reduced water flow, and a sinking delta is transforming the delta's environment.
I read the 2019 edition. An edited version is needed as there were numerous mistakes like duplicate words and repeated phrases – especially in the later part. Nothing that can’t be read through but it causes my eyes to stutter.
Felt a bit like a textbook. I guess this is why my review reads more like a book report. Worth reading if the region is of interest as it was for me. 3.5 Goodread stars, rounded down.
What a crazy river. It absconded another river by splitting it in two using the lower portion as a second channel to the ocean and the upper to flow backwards during the monsoons filling Tonle Sap in Cambodia.
This is an economics book wrapped around the history and future of the river. It flows from the upper reaches, chapter by chapter, down to the delta. The history of the areas I know as interesting. Conservation is the theme that exudes the book but tomorrow doesn’t look good for the river.
Dams have flourished in the upper Mekong and are being build down river too. This holds back water reducing downriver flows need by fish and plants while sediment is captured behind dams so it doesn’t flow to the delta causing the delta to sink. Biodiversity is declining. Rising ocean levels, reduced water flow, and a sinking delta is transforming the delta's environment.
I read the 2019 edition. An edited version is needed as there were numerous mistakes like duplicate words and repeated phrases – especially in the later part. Nothing that can’t be read through but it causes my eyes to stutter.
Felt a bit like a textbook. I guess this is why my review reads more like a book report. Worth reading if the region is of interest as it was for me. 3.5 Goodread stars, rounded down.
June 17, 2024
What a refreshing surprise! Eyler modeled his expert study of the Mekong River on the writings of past ethnographers and climate activists who inspired his career, and in making this choice he ensures that Last Days of the Mighty Mekong is a fun and enriching read throughout. One could be forgiven for thinking the book was a travelog as he brilliantly embeds his subject matter expertise into an account of his own travels from the Himalayan range down to the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam. The reader is spared the more granular details of Mekong River environmental science until the second half of the book, but even then it is quite manageable. Eyler has pulled off a coup with this project. The upshot is a valuable call to action, and as he emphasizes we must think of the Mekong as a broad system and network of rivers, rather than incentivizing individual countries to explore their own short-term solutions, which endanger neighboring countries' ecosystems and forego the strategic benefits which collective action offers.
November 14, 2025
Recently visited Cambodia, and had that Tonle Sap Lake boat tour. The lake was huge, and the tour guide explained how water get in to this lake via Mekong River. Out of curiosity, I decided what's Mekong River is and as a curious reader, I chose to read this book. I don't know the pros and cons, yet its a beautiful and informative book that tackles a diverse aspect of issues that revolves around Mekong: culture and history, environment, and geopolitics. And how it affects today's situation of this river that was so mighty before but now losing its mighty. It's a worth reading for those who got visit to these Mekong countries. Its like a tour with the author with an eye opening nature from what is Mekong river today.
August 14, 2024
Maybe I am biased because I am lucky enough to work with Brian, but this is easily one of the best seminal works and overviews of a region I have ever read. Incredible ethnographic work informed by years of research on the region. I recommend this book highly to anyone interested in the Mekong Region, agrarian change, environmental defense, and water rights.
January 28, 2021
It took me awhile to read this book. I was told before hand there are some chapters to skip. It does get bit nonsensical in some parts of the book. Too much unnecessary information but the overall message is incredible. There were a lot of things I didn’t know about the Mekong.
June 22, 2019
Great primer to the Mekong region from an environmental / sustainable development perspective.
February 15, 2021
Bên trong câu chuyện xung đột lợi ích về các con đập trên dòng sông Mekong là những vấn đề lớn về lịch sử, văn hoá, đặc biệt là địa chính trị. Đáng để tìm hiểu!
June 19, 2023
Extremely well reported look at how shoddily planned dams, global warming, and government corruption are destroying life and culture along the Mekong. The future is grim.
August 10, 2023
This is a well written and very interesting book but boy is it dense. Hence it has been on my "currently reading" for 4 years ... Maybe more. Good one for dipping in and out
September 3, 2023
A good read and a very good trip along the tree-of-life that is the Mekong.
September 27, 2025
Book about an amazing ecosystem surrounding the Mekong River. This complex environment could foster at least a dozen different Netflix shows.
March 17, 2019
This critical work chronicles millennia of history of the peoples living along the Mekong River, their relationship to the river, and our collective responsibility to assure its health into the future.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews