LancangMekong

LancangMekong refers to the river system formed by the Lancang River in China and the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. In China, the river is known as the Lancang River (Lancang Jiang) and originates on the Tibetan Plateau. It flows southeast through Yunnan Province, and after it leaves China the river is known downstream as the Mekong, continuing through several countries to empty into the South China Sea.

The term is also used for the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC), a regional framework established in 2015 by China and the six Mekong countries: China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The LMC aims to promote peace, growth, and sustainable development through enhanced cooperation in areas such as economy and trade, infrastructure connectivity, water resources, energy, agriculture, production capacity, poverty reduction, and people-to-people exchanges. The mechanism features Leaders’ and Foreign Ministers’ Meetings and various sectoral sub-forums, with a secretariat based in Kunming, China.

Hydrology and development within the Lancang-Mekong system include several large hydropower projects on the upper Lancang in China, notably the Xiaowan and Nuozhadu Dams. These projects have increased electricity generation but affect river flows, sediment transport, and ecosystems downstream. Downstream, the Mekong supports major fisheries, agriculture, and rural livelihoods across the lower basin, including the Tonle Sap ecosystem in Cambodia and the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, making its management a focal point of regional cooperation and environmental concern.