Are freshwater systems in lower Mekong basin (southeast Asia) resilient? A synthesis of social-ecological system

Social-ecological resilience of freshwater systems in lower Mekong basin in southeast Asia is largely unknown. Over the recent past, the freshwater ecosystems in the region have gone through severe environmental stress. Climate change, sea level rise, over-extraction of water and eutrophication together have increased vulnerability to regime shifts of ecosystems in the region. Regime shifts can have long-lasting effects on social-ecological resilience. Response diversity plays a central role in linking ecological, social, and financial systems and enhances resilience. Documenting regime shifts and associated feedbacks as well as the role of response diversity in social-ecological resilience and ecosystem goods and services in the region is essential for future sustainability. In this study, primarily, I have described mechanisms behind emergence of feedback loops at a time of regime shifts and its impacts on ecological resilience. Secondly, I have developed a framework for social-ecological resilience of freshwater ecosystems for southeast Asian region. Thirdly, I have provided current contexts of social-ecological resilience of two of the most productive freshwater ecosystems in the lower Mekong basin of southeast Asia: the Tonle Sap Lake (Cambodia) and the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Finally, in conclusion, I have outlined the key roles response diversity plays in showing the effects of environmental stress and maintaining social-ecological resilience in the region.