Winding 4,900 kilometers across and between six nations, the Mekong River provides the essential resource for life for over 65 million people embedded within a remarkably rich and diverse ecosystem (Great Rivers Partnership 2015). It is the “circulatory system” for this economically dynamic and increasingly influential part of the world and represents a powerful metaphor of the profound interdependence of life. The significance of the Mekong for the livelihood of so many people, and its potent function as an interconnecting framework, elevate it as a prime concern for sustained and positive development in the region.