Giant Catfish on the loose! The Mekong Adventure

1. Introduction

STOP ! Watch this first:  

Apocalypse Now (1979) produced/ directed by Francis Ford Coppola. is a visual masterpiece that is both surrealistic and symbolic of the horrors of war as epitomized by the Vietnam War. 

The Mekong River is the 12^th longest river in the world at about 4180km. It is believed to run from Tibet, through China’s Yunnan province, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam before emptying into the South China Sea. Scientists believe that the source of the Mekong River is located in the Jifu Mountains in China’s Qinghai Province, near the Tibetan border at an altitude of about 5,200m.The entire river is known as the Meigong in Chinese and Mènam Khong (Mother of all rivers) in both Lao and Thai. In Vietnamese it is the Cửu Long Giang or Sông Cửu Long (nine dragons river), but is also popularly known as the Mê Kông. The Mekong has more than 1,200 different species of fish, more than any other river system besides the  Amazon and the Congo. It also yields more fish with an annual harvest inclusive of fish farms, of about 2 million tonnes.  

Did you Know….

The Mekong River has a number of peculiar features. For instance, unlike most rivers that flow in a single direction all year round, the Tonle Sap, a tributary of the Mekong that runs through central Cambodia does otherwise. For half the year, it flows south-east towards the South China Sea but with the increased run-off caused by the monsoon rains, the river reverses its course, flowing north-west into the Tonle Sap lake. When the rains abate and the water level falls, the river reverts to its earlier course, flowing into the sea.

2. SOCIAL SCIENCES

The earliest known civilisation in the Mekong Delta was the 1st century Indianised-Khmer kingdom of Funan while the last great state was the Khmer empire of Angkor. Interestingly, excavations at a place called Oc Eo have yielded coins that came from as far afield as the Roman Empire. The first systematic exploration of the Mekong began with the French Mekong Expedition led by Ernest Doudard de Lagrée and Francis Garnier. The expedition ascended the river from its mouth to Yunnan between 1866 to 1868. Their chief finding was that the Mekong had too many falls and rapids to ever be useful for navigation. The upper course is characterised by rapids and waterfalls and there are endless jagged reefs and shifting sandbars during the dry season especially beyond Phnom Penh. The monsoon season gives rise to many rapids, which become a formidable obstacle such as that of  Si Phan Don, or “Four Thousand Islands”, in what is now southern Laos.

Activity

1. Mekong River Timeline:  (A) Conduct research into a brief history of river, (B) Create a timeline and highlight a number of significant events & (C) In groups, choose an event to research and report on. The groups should share the findings with the class. The report should include the following: (i) Write-up of event & (ii) illustration of event

2. The River Runs Through It: (A) Create an enlarged image of the river, (B) Explore the route taken by explorers and identify key river features that marked the river’s course & (C) Explain how these features were formed and why they impeded the progress of explorers such as the French Mekong Expedition.

Extended Activity: Investigative Enquiry

Throughout history, floods, volcanoes, and earthquakes, have caused various important centers of civilization to self-destruct and disappear. (A) Conduct research on cities and places (1 per group) that have succumbed to such natural disasters, (B) Briefly report on the state of the city and way of life before the disaster, the impact of the disaster on the city/ place and what has happened to it now & (C) Write a group report and present your findings.

Resources 

Title: Ancient civilizations
Author: Don Nardo (ed.)
Publisher: San Diego, Calif.:Greenhaven Press, c2002.
Call number: Y 930 ANC Title:

Title: Dangerous planet: natural disasters that changed history
Author: Bryn Barnard
Publisher: New York : Crown Publisher, c2003.
Call number: J 363.34 BAR 

Title: Mysteries of lost civilizations
Author: Anne Millard
Publisher: Brookfield, Conn.: Copper Beech Books,1996.
Call number: Y 930 MIL

Title: The Mekong, turbulent past, uncertain future
Author: Milton Osborne
Publisher: New South Wales: Allen & Unwin, 2006.
Call number: 959.7 OSB   or RSEA 959.7 OSB 

Title: Mekong, the last river 
Author: Kenji Aoyagi
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : Cadence Books, 1995.
Call number: 959.7 AOY 

Mekong
http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0832554.html

3. SCIENCE 

The Mekong River is rich in fishery resources. This abundance stems from the river’s seasonal ebb and flow. During the monsoon season, the size of the floodplains increases by as much as 10 times, dramatically increasing the habitat area for fish. As the floodplain is actually forested, there are much more nutrients in the form of rotting leaves for the fish to feed on.  As such, many species in the Mekong have evolved to take advantage of this. According to researchers the river has more species of giant fish than any world river  most notably the Giant Mekong Catfish.
     
           

In addition, a phenomenon known as the Naga Fireballs can be seen in Nong Khai province, Thailand. From time to time, glowing balls rise from the Mekong River and rise several hundred metres before disappearing. Local villages attribute the phenomenon to Phaya Naga, a mythical serpent living in the river. 

Activity

1. Explore how fish such as the Giant Mekong Catfish have evolved in their breeding habits to take advantage of the monsoon floods. Provide other examples, if possible. 
2. Find out how living creatures have evolved over the years to adapt to changing climates and conditions. Provide 2 examples. 
3. Discuss the possible cause of the Naga Fireball phenomeon. (Clue- explore similar phenomenon such as St. Elmo’s Fire) Is this fact or fiction?

Extended Activity: Godzilla-phenomenon

In recent years, there has been a phenomenon of fishes and animals growing to gigantic porportions. Scientist are at a loss to explain why this is happening. Is this a holdover from the ancient dinosaurs days as some believe or does this herald a new dawn in Darwinism? What are some of the possible reasons to explain this phenomenon?

History of Giant Mekong Catfish: http://www.geocities.com/zoomfishing/History.html?200614
Hogzilla: http://www.minifarmhomestead.com/thisandthat/hogzilla.htm
 
Resources
 
Title: At the water’s edge : fish with fingers, whales with legs, and how life came ashore but then went back to sea
Author: Carl Zimmer
Publisher: New York : Touchstone, 1999.
Call number: 599.938 ZIM  

Title: Adapting to the environment
Author: Fulvio Cerfolli
Publisher: London : Cherrytree Books, 1998.
Call number: Y 591.4 CER

Giant Catfish on the loose! The Mekong Adventure

4. Mathematics

                  

There is a serious threat to the rich resources in the Mekong River – dam building. The International Rivers Network, an anti-dam group, asserts that about 100 large dams hav been proposed. Several dams have been built on the river’s tributaries, particularly in China. Many critics have argued that this will have a detrimental effect on the environment and the livelihood of fishing villages downstream. On the other hand, dams can generate energy through hydroelectric power. Although costly to construct and requiring a consistent flow of water through the turbines, it provides a relatively cheaper supply of power.

Activity

The Mekong is the 10th-largest river by volume, discharging 475 km³ of water annually. Calculate, the amount of energy it can potentially generate in Manwan, China. Find out the vital statistics of the Mekong River and compare that against the major rivers of the world.

Extended Activity

1. Why are dams a controversial topic?
2. Putting aside environmental and ecological challenges, how viable are dams as an energy source?
3. Look at the slide presentation from the Mekong River Commission. How are some of the issues raised linked to the building of dams? Any current examples?

Building Big: All About Dams: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/dam/index.html
 

Resources

Title: Dams and development : a new framework for decision-making : the report of the World Commission on Dams, November 2000.
Publisher: London : Earthscan Publications, 2000.
Call number: R q627.8 DAM year 2000

Title: Dams, fish and fisheries : opportunities, challenges and conflict resolution
Author: edited by Gerd Marmulla
Publisher: Rome ; [Great Britain] : FAO, 2001.
Call number: R q639.21 DAM

Title: The hydraulics of open channel flow: an introduction ; basic principles, sediment motion, hydraulic modelling, design of hydraulic structures
Author: Hubert Chanson
Publisher: London: Arnold, 1999.
Call number: R 627.042 CHA 

Title: Hydropower of the future: new ways of turning water into energy
Author: Allison Stark Draper
Publisher: New York, N.Y. : Rosen Pub. Group, 2003.
Call number: Y 333.914 DRA

5. Language

The story of the film Apocalypse Now is based around a fictional journey up the Mekong River into Cambodia. The film uses the journey up the river as a metaphor for a journey into the darkness of humanity.

Activity 

Watch an excerpt from the movie Apocalypse Now 
1. Keep a River Journal. You can write in the form of an autobiography or take on assume a persona and write about your experiences as you journey up the river
2. Write a short poem employing a variety of poetry styles to depict your experience/ emotions about the movie.

Further Discovery

The movie, Apocalypse Now, was indirectly inspired by Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of darkness – about a steamer journey up a river into the Congo and African jungle – and into the darkest reaches of the human psyche. Have students swap unfinished work and try to finish each others poetry, following in the poetic style started by original author.

Resources

Title: Heart of darkness: with, The Congo diary ; and, Up-river book
Author: Joseph Conrad ; edited by Zdzisław Najder
Publisher: London : Hesperus, 2002.
Call number: CON 

Title: O withered leaf from the River Mekong and other poems
Author: Htilar Sitthu
Publisher: Yangon, Myanmar: Innwa Pub. House, 1998.
Call number: RSEA 828.9959101 HTI or 828.9959101 HTI

Title: Travel writing
Author: Don George with Charlotte Hindle.
Publisher: Melbourne, Vic.; London: Lonely Planet, 2005.
Call number: 808.06691 GEO

Title: Drawing from life: the journal as art
Author: Jennifer New
Publisher: New York: Princeton Architectural, c2005.
Call number: q760 NEW -[ART]

6. Extended Activity

Debate

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) was formed in 1995 to jointly manage water resources and development of the economic potential of the river. Its members are Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. Although China and Myanmar have not joined the MRC, they became Dialogue Partners in 2002 and pledged to cooperate. The Mekong River affects the lives of about 90 million people, many of whom are amongst the poorest in the world.  It is a critical feature as it provides water for industrial and agricultural development, sustains subsistence fishing, maintains the ecological and hydrological balances and is used for transportation among many other uses.  There will inevitably be many different views as to how the water should or should not be used.  This is compounded by the differing rates economic development and priorities facing each affected country. Debate whether groups like the MRC are effective in meeting their objectives or if other players and stakeholder from local and international NGOs, private investors and national governments wield more influence over the development of the river. 

Listen to this:
http://www.voanews.com/mediaassets/english/2005_03/Audio/rm/bobb_laos_dam_water_21mar05.rm

Creative Writing    

Write your version of the Naga Fireball story. Share with the class and discuss the origins and fantastical elements of the story.

The Mekong River crosses Yunnan Province, China, and forms the border between Myanmar (Burma) and Laos and most of the border between Laos and Thailand. It then flows across Cambodia and southern Vietnam

The natural resource management issues and priorities differ in each of the countries and the level of development and populations vary significantly. In north-east Thailand, with over 20 million people, the water resources are virtually fully developed and problems are emerging associated with salinisation of arable lands as result of over-clearing of native vegetation and poor irrigation, soil erosion, and declining water quality in the rivers and streams. In Laos, with 5 million people and a much poorer country from a GDP perspective, the water resources are largely undeveloped. Cambodia, with 10 million people, is recovering from decades of war, and in the Mekong delta some 20 million Vietnamese live on some of the most highly productive agricultural land in the world.

Further Resources

Title: Mekong: a journey on the mother of waters
Author: Michael Yamashita 
Publisher: New York, N.Y. (200 Varick St. NY 10014): Takarajima Books, c1995.
Call number: R 915.97 YAM -[TRA], RSEA 915.97 YAM -[TRA] 

Title: The Mekong: environment and development 
Author: Hiroshi Hori
Publisher: Tokyo ; New York : United Nations University Press, 2000.
Call number: R 628.109597 HOR

International Rivers Network: Mekong: http://www.irn.org/programs/mekong/
Modern poetry: its writing and appreciation: http://www.poetrymagic.co.uk/