Additional Context: Wonders of the Mekong, or WoM, was a USAID-funded project entering its ninth year of implementation before it was abruptly terminated in early 2025. The $29.7 million project, which was expected to run through 2029, supported research and training on the Mekong River biome, strengthened local educational and policy institutions, and created communication platforms for communities to share their relationships with the natural environment and participate in environmental decision-making.

Project representatives frame the communications dimension of the initiative as one of its essential facets. Examples include the Mekong Heroes program, showcasing individuals who contributed positively to the development of sustainable tourism in the region; the translation of decades of U.S. research in the Mekong into public-facing events and educational materials for populations and policymakers; events conducting plastic clean-ups in collaboration with communities and schools; and a partnership with National Geographic on conservation efforts and challenges in the region.

The attention generated through these activities in international outlets such as the BBC, The Economist, and the Guardian about the tagging and release of a 300-kilogram giant freshwater stingray became a source of national pride for Cambodians, built up the profile of existing research, and served as the basis for the recognition of a stretch of the Mekong as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, World Heritage site.

Source: Wonders of the Mekong