Rare Earth Mining Boom Threatens Mekong River, Endangering Millions Across Southeast Asia

A surge in global demand for rare earth minerals is unleashing toxic pollution across parts of Southeast Asia, placing one of the world’s most vital river systems—the Mekong—under severe ecological and humanitarian threat.

The sprawling river, which winds through six countries and sustains more than 70 million people, is facing unprecedented contamination from thousands of largely unregulated mines scattered across Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. These sites, many situated in conflict zones and lawless regions, are believed to be releasing dangerous chemicals directly into waterways used for drinking, fishing, farming and trade.

Researchers at the US-based Stimson Center have mapped more than 2,400 mining locations, warning that pollutants including mercury, cyanide, arsenic and other heavy metals are flowing into rivers that feed the Mekong. The scale, they say, is “massive” and poses the risk of a cascading ecological collapse.

Brian Eyler, director of the Center’s Southeast Asia and Energy programs, said the Mekong’s resources reach global markets far beyond Asia. “There’s not a major US supermarket that doesn’t carry a product from the Mekong Delta,” he noted, stressing that pollution upstream could have far-reaching effects on international food supplies.

Communities closest to mine sites are already feeling the consequences. Along Thailand’s Kok River, which connects to the Mekong, tests reportedly revealed arsenic and other toxic substances in the water. Residents, many of whom rely entirely on fishing and small-scale farming, have abandoned eating river fish and fear their crops are unsafe.

Lead researcher Regan Kwan said villagers face impossible choices. “They weren’t sure they could eat what they grew or continue the economic activities tied to the river,” he explained, adding that subsistence farmers are among the most vulnerable.

The findings highlight how rare earth extraction—essential for smartphones, electric vehicles, medical devices and military technologies—carries enormous environmental costs when conducted without oversight. Myanmar alone accounts for nearly 80% of the unregulated activity documented. The country’s 2021 military coup, paired with surging mineral prices, has fueled an explosion of illicit mining.

Experts warn that unless governments enforce strict controls, the Mekong could become a global example of the devastating consequences of unchecked rare earth extraction. “Hundreds of millions of people could ultimately be affected,” Eyler cautioned.