MRC launches channel to improve public awareness of flood, drought risks

Miss Universe Vietnam 2017 H’Hen Nie helps promote the MRC Flood and Drought TV Channel. (Photo: mrcmekong.org)

Vientiane - The Mekong River Commission (MRC) has launched a channel on Mekong flood and drought forecast to improve public awareness and understanding of the conditions in the Lower Mekong River Basin (LMB).

According to the commission, starting from July 2023, the channel provides regular updates on current water levels, flows, and forecasted flood and drought risks for people living along the Mekong River. Broadcast in English with subtitles in Mekong languages, it runs every Monday during this rainy season on the MRC Secretariat's social media channels of Facebook and YouTube.

The Mekong River experiences flooding every year, which can bring both positive and negative impacts to the LMB.

Dr. Anoulak Kittikhoun, CEO of the Mekong River Commission Secretariat, stated: "The MRC currently provides daily river monitoring, flood forecasting, flash flood guidance information, and drought forecasts to support member countries in managing risks. We are also working on drought adaption measures. The launch of the MRC TV Channel on Flood and Drought Forecasting is a part of our continued efforts to bring updated and useful information on flood and drought risks to people in the Basin in a more accessible way. We hope the channel, in addition to our website updates, can effectively reach millions more people living along the Mekong River."

H’Hen Nie, Miss Universe Vietnam 2017, who helped promote the MRC Flood and Drought TV Channel, highlighted the importance of timely updates on drought and flooding, saying: “The Mekong Delta is known as the rice bowl of the region, so any drought or flooding in this area can have a direct impact on the lives of the people.”

The MRC is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1995 to boost regional dialogue and cooperation in the LMB. Based on the Mekong Agreement among Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, it serves as both a regional platform for water diplomacy and a knowledge hub – to manage water resources and support sustainable development of the region.

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