The Mekong River runs across the Asian continent through one country after another travelling a distance of 4,200 km from beginning to end. The river is managed in a unique way, owing to the Mekong River Commission that was established in 1957. Due to it's long and winding course, serving the water needs of 60 million people within the basin, the river has been monitored, researched and continues to depend upon the use and applications of a broad range of geospatial and geomatic technologies. 

The Mekong River Commission was established with a goal to "“to promote and co-ordinate sustainable management and development of water and related resources for the countries". It includes most countries along the river with the exception of China and Burma. 

The Commission has developed a Water Commission Program whose responsibilities included the development of procedures for water use along the river. These resulted in the Framework for Decision Making.

"The Decision Support Framework is a suite of modelling tools capable of describing changes in river flow and assessing impacts that can occur as a result of land cover change, infrastructure development – mainly for irrigation and hydropower – and climatic variations within the basin. An important conclusion of the DSF is that it shows the Mekong flow regime to be highly robust: with good planning and management, there is much room for water resource developments that benefit all Member States and contribute to poverty reduction."

Although that membership group has ended, the framework survives and continues to guide the orientation of policy and water use within the regions of the Mekong River. 

A significant amount of work along the Mekong River has engaged the use of satellite sensors. IKONOS, SPOT, MODIS, ENVISAT, ASTER, Landsat and others have all been used and continue to provide up-to-date satellite imagery along the river's length. No less than 67 new fish species have been found in the river.

Surveying has continually taken place along the Mekong River, particulaly in those areas between Thailand and Laos where the river forms the border. Changes in that delineation obviously expose major concerns between the two countries. 

A major baseline survey report for the Mekong River basin was conducted and printed in 2005. Other engineering related projects including bridges, roads, power generation and other activities have also included the use and application of geospatial tools. Other projects include the Greater Mekong Subregion Southern Coastal Corridor.

Managing the length of the Mekong River is critical for numerous reasons. These include the use of water, but also for reasons associated with territorial peace to ensure cooperation and maintenance of the biodiversity and values of this long and important river of Asia.