The Mekong River is currently transitioning from wet season to dry season conditions, with several significant developments as of late October and early November 2025.
Recent Water Levels and Flooding
As of late October, the Mekong Delta experienced significant flooding during its peak flood period. Water levels reached alarm levels at key downstream stations like Chau Doc, with forecasted peaks between October 8-10, 2025. The flooding affected multiple areas across the delta, with Can Tho City and other localities experiencing inundation of up to 0.5 meters in some sections. However, water levels at Chau Doc were expected to return to normal after October 28, 2025.sggpyoutube
Seasonal Transition
The Mekong is currently in its seasonal transition phase. According to the latest forecasts from October 27, 2025, water levels are beginning to normalize. Over the subsequent five days from late October, water levels were expected to drop by 0.2 to 0.3 meters from Chiang Khan downstream, with only slight increases of 0.1 meters at upstream stations like Chiang Saen and Luang Prabang.youtube
2025 Wet Season Overview
The 2025 wet season was notably wetter than normal, with the Mekong experiencing some of the wettest conditions in years. The Tonle Sap reversed course earlier than expected, and the Mekong's floodpulse reached higher levels than observed in the preceding five years. This presented challenges for dam operators regarding reservoir management decisions during the transition between seasons.stimson
Long-Term Hydrological Changes
Beyond immediate conditions, recent research reveals substantial long-term alterations to the Mekong's hydrology driven by dam operations and climate change. Peak discharge has declined significantly—by approximately 40% at Chiang Saen—while minimum flows have increased dramatically by 117% at Kratie in the post-dam period compared to the pre-dam baseline. Additionally, the timing of peak flows has shifted approximately 10-20 days later, with the Tonle Sap reverse flow period shortening by 24 days. These changes reflect the compounding impacts of upstream hydropower dam operations and climate variability on the river system.egusphere.copernicus
Ongoing Challenges
The Mekong River Commission continues to address multiple management challenges, including impacts from illegal rare earth mining in tributaries like the Kok and Ruak rivers, which has led to pollution concerns. Transboundary coordination between riparian countries remains critical for effective flood forecasting and drought management as the dry season approaches.stimson
- https://en.sggp.org.vn/mekong-delta-races-to-respond-to-peak-flood-levels-post120837.html
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o1IlBD4HSk
- https://www.stimson.org/event/wheres-the-water-mekong-wet-season-2025/
- https://egusphere.copernicus.org/preprints/2025/egusphere-2025-3472/egusphere-2025-3472.pdf
- https://www.stimson.org/event/wheres-the-water-mekong-dry-season-2025/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TpHyH0bNF0
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD4mkbZ5fVM
- https://www.mekongrivercruises.com/mekong-river/why-you-should-cruise-the-mekong-river-in-the-high-water-season.html
- https://www.mrcmekong.org/2025/10/
- https://www.mrcmekong.org/2025/05/
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