February 16, 2026
Courtesy Zeb Hogan, University of Nevada, Reno
What is a river worth? This question seems odd, but is of great importance for environmental management. If we would know the value of a river, societies could make much better decisions about how to use not only a river's water, but the many resources a river provides.
In this article, published in the German version of Scientific American (Spektrum der Wissenschaft), we explore how concepts of "natural capital" and "ecosystem services" can be applied to guide the sustainable development of the Mekong River in Southeast Asia.