Bridging engineering and ecology on the Mekong

The authors describe collaborative efforts of ecologists and hydrologists working with the Mekong fish fauna to facilitate passage in Asia’s most biodiverse river. Cumulative findings are presented from the review. The paper highlights the urgent need to create alignments on facility selection principles, monitoring standards, methodologies, performance evaluation, and other mitigation measures. This is essential for enhancing data consistency, advancing sustainable hydropower development, and promoting evidence-based management across the Lower Mekong Basin as the hydropower scene expands to accommodate the rising demand for renewable energy.