Taking advantage of its mountainous topography and the Mekong River flowing through the country, Laos has extensively developed its hydropower capacity. As of 2021, the country has 78 operational hydropower dams and has signed memorandums of understanding for another 246 projects along the Mekong River and its tributaries. At the same time, the Mekong Basin provides local communities with their livelihoods through fishing and growing commercial crops like rice and coffee. Laos also has a very vibrant set of SMEs, which make up an overwhelming majority of businesses in Laos. SMEs currently account for over 80 percent of all employment (including agricultural SMEs) but contribute less than 20 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Most of these small firms engage in retail and wholesale trade and other services such as tourism.