Part 1: River of controversy
In 1995 four nations of the lower Mekong basin - Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam - created the Mekong River Commission, charged with furthering the sustainable development and exploitation of the "Mother of Rivers". Meanwhile China - not a member of the MRC - began damming and dredging the upper courses of the river for its own needs. This is the first in a series of exclusive reports on the Mekong: its promise, its challenges and the failures of those who control it.

Part 2: Challenge of China
Massive dam construction and channel dredging by China on the upper reaches of the Mekong river system seriously affect the countries downstream, yet protests by Cambodia or even the Mekong River Commission are muted. China has deftly forestalled criticism with cooperation and cash, while widening its sphere of influence throughout the Mekong region.

Part 3: Hey, big spenders
International donors have poured some US$1 billion into countless reports, plans and studies on how to manage the Mekong. Yet the thousands of villagers and fishermen who depend on the great river have seen nothing of this vast sum of money, and few benefits from the mountain of paper: rather the contrary.

Part 4: Reform in the forests
After many years of war and the suffering wrought by Pol Pot, the people of Cambodia now find themselves in an even older struggle: man versus the environment. The final article in Asia Times Online's exclusive series on the Mekong examines how logging in the ancient rain forests has affected the mighty river, and the people who depend on it.