Comparing River Basin Development Experiences in the Mississippi and the Mekong

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Abstract
This paper compares water resources issues and management efforts between the Mississippi River system (North America's largest) and the Mekong River system (Southeast Asia's largest). Outcomes from the Mississippi experience-where large-scale hydraulic engineering approaches have been employed for decades-may be especially relevant to planning efforts in the Mekong, where large-scale engineering has yet to be used in many areas of the river basin. Experiences in the Mississippi in flood hazards, ecosystem degradation, restoration, monitoring, and adaptive management could be used to inform Mekong water policy formation. In both the Mekong and Mississippi River basins, the health and livelihoods of people are strongly linked to ecological integrity. The challenge of sustaining this integrity in the processes of socioeconomic development may be the single most important feature connecting these large river systems and their inhabitants.

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