## 5 Discussion
The project also illustrates how different strategies can be used to elevate the profile of Mekong issues among both local (Cambodian) and global audiences. Language is particularly important in this context, and providing bilingual content in Khmer and English has been instrumental in reaching both Cambodian and international audiences. A scarcity of Khmer language materials has previously been identified as a limiting factor for environmental education in Cambodia [25], underscoring the value of investing in the translation of content originally developed in English, as well as developing materials directly in local languages. The environmental issues facing the Mekong River are transboundary, and conservation solutions must ultimately come from multiple countries working together. WOM shares the results of its studies with the Mekong River Commission and the Mekong Fish Network, which disseminate information across the Lower Mekong Basin countries. However, one of the biggest logistical challenges to international communication is identifying key audiences within each country and communicating targeted conservation messages in local languages. What the WOM project has accomplished in Cambodia is a model that could be replicated in neighboring countries, and coordinated campaigns could then be launched across countries with shared messaging in multiple languages. While WOM social media stories currently reach people in all Lower Mekong Basin countries, the representation of countries other than Cambodia is limited in part due to the focus on posting stories in Khmer and English. However, effort will be made in the future to translate key stories into multiple languages to increase the distribution of information in other Lower Mekong Basin countries. While WOM has helped to raise awareness and improve knowledge about the Mekong River ecosystem, quantifying the total impact of these communications efforts is challenging. The presumed link between knowledge and behavior change may be considered overly simplistic, and the most effective messages convey information that motivates shifts in behavior [114]. Few studies have attempted to empirically evaluate the effect of environmental education and outreach efforts on knowledge, attitudes, and behavior, or on their larger conservation impact [4]. While it is possible to determine the number of people reached with a particular communication tool, techniques for assessing the resulting contribution toward actual conservation goals are more challenging to implement [35]. Knowledge of conservation threats is not a guarantee of conservation action [115], and outreach strategies would benefit from pre- and post-evaluations of participants to adapt and improve methodologies. Surveys are one way to assess changes in local knowledge and attitudes to gauge the impact of implementing education and outreach efforts [4]. Efforts that move beyond general environmental outreach focus more specifically on ways to change behavior for conservation. For example, the organization Rare draws on the principles of social marketing to develop targeted \"pride campaigns\" aimed at changing behavior to achieve specific conservation goals, such as protecting a species, habitat, or resource. These campaigns may include 15-20 different in-person and media elements, such as puppet shows, billboards, posters, radio announcements, songs, and video programs [116]. The campaigns seek to change knowledge and attitudes about a particular species or habitat, and campaigns are branded with a charismatic local \"flagship species\" to help build pride in local diversity. Such campaigns also recognize that knowledge is typically insufficient to change behavior on its own, and therefore seek to create an emotional connection by generating pride, such as with the use of charismatic mascots of local species. This approach includes identifying barriers that may prevent people from changing a particular behavior [117]. Rare takes an adaptive management approach to monitor and evaluate the success of campaigns [116].