The Mekong River basin, many of the approximately 65 million people who rely on it for food, water and nutrition are struggling. High temperatures and drought have killed animals reared by locals and vegetables they planted for household consumption. For those who relied on collecting food from smaller water bodies, such as ponds and canals surrounding the river and lakes, they had to spend more time collecting food and had access to fewer species. For some, collecting food meant the difference between having the money or not, to pay for their children’s school fees or not, since it meant that they were less reliant on purchasing food from markets.

The Mekong River ecosystem supports people living in six countries — Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. It is one of the most vulnerable places on Earth to climate change. A confluence of upstream damming, drought and increased temperatures are impacting its flow, salinity, species richness and ability to support the people whose lives depend on it.