Additional Context: Wonders of the Mekong was a USAID-funded project entering its ninth year of implementation before it was abruptly terminated in early 2025. With plans to continue through 2029, this $29.7 million initiative conducted applied research, built capacity, and implemented outreach and communication strategies to highlight the natural, economic, and cultural capital of the Lower Mekong River.

After almost a decade operating in Cambodia in close collaboration with local authorities and universities, the project had launched a new phase of expansion meant to cover Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand, which would allow for a closer cross-border integration in conservation, research, and livelihoods programming along the Mekong River.

According to former project leaders, work in Laos was already underway. A partnership had been signed with a U.S. company, community fishing networks and partnerships with local organizations had been established to monitor and regulate the population levels of various species. In Vietnam, a pilot project using long term data and eDNA to map transboundary fish corridors was being developed with a local university. In Thailand, potential partners were being prospected and the project in a planning stage. All these activities were halted.

Source: Wonders of the Mekong