All Dams Map of the Mekong Basin

Mainstream and Tributaries

A map detailing the current status of all dams completed and under construction on the Mekong River’s mainstream and tributaries

By Brian Eyler • Regan Kwan
STIMSON.ORG
May 7, 2024





This map shows the current status of all dams completed and under construction on the Mekong River’s mainstream and tributaries, representing a “definite future” for dams in the Mekong Basin. Nearly every tributary in every country of the Mekong is now blocked by a dam, posing a significant reduction in fish migration capabilities and downstream sediment distribution. Seasonal storage dams also pose a significant threat to the annual floodpulse which drives the Mekong fishery and robust agricultural production. This map will be updated as new dams begin construction or go online and its underlying dataset can be accessed below.

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Mekong All Dams Map

Currently, 745 dams are complete or under construction on the mainstream and tributaries of the Mekong Basin rendering the once connected, natural river system into a highly engineered watershed utilized for hydropower production, irrigation, urban water supply, and flood control. The rapid development of these dams over the last three decades has occurred in a mostly uncoordinated manner among the riparian countries of China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam and this is resulting in significant alterations to the Mekong’s natural floodpulse, the livelihoods of tens of millions of people who rely on the river, and the world’s largest freshwater fishery.

Dam data on this map was collected using satellite imagery or existing sources. Sources include project stakeholders, publications from national ministries, national power development plans, SERVIR-Mekong, the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems- Greater Mekong, World Bank, and the Mekong Region Futures Institute. A dataset inclusive of all dam sites identified on this map is accessible for download.

We encourage you to use this map and underlying data for your own research, presentations, or publications with proper attribution to the Stimson Center.

This map will be updated quarterly and with the completion or construction of major dams. To go deeper into this database, access the reservoirs database on the Mekong Infrastructure Tracker Dashboard. To learn more about the impacts of the largest dams in the Mekong, follow the Mekong Dam Monitor’s Facebook page or explore the Mekong Dam Monitor online platform. See more Stimson research about the impacts of Mekong dams on the Mekong Dam Monitor project page.