Assessing the Vulnerabilities of the Mekong River’s Threatened Megafauna to Environmental and Fisheries Threats

Globally, freshwater ecosystems are severely imperiled, with one quarter of all freshwater megafauna facing extinction. The Mekong River is no exception, with the second highest megafauna diversity, 24 endemic species, the highest diversity of megafish, and hosts the world’s largest inland fishery; however, many megafauna species are facing severe population declines. Starting in 2017, the Wonders of the Mekong Project have documented these declines and impacts, but lack prioritization lists of the most vulnerable species and their key threats. This has identified a need for a synthesis of data to understand which threatened species are most vulnerable and the threats having the greatest impact.

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To synthesize this information, this project will create a standardized vulnerability assessment frameworks to identify the vulnerabilities of threatened megafauna in the Mekong River to environmental and fisheries threats. The geographic extent is Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia and the study groups include (1) megafish, (2) sharks & rays, (3) turtles, (4) dolphins, and (5) crocodiles. The results will highlight the species most vulnerable in need of conservation and management. In addition, the assessment will create a standardization of terms and attributes across multiple taxonomic groups, that can be transferable to other tropical river systems.

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This project will inform management on the threatened species that are most in need of conservation and the threats with the greatest impact that need to be addressed. The project also has broader implication on tropical rivers worldwide, by creating a transferable multi-species vulnerability assessment that can be utilized globally.