Six Mekong countries join hands in settle climate change

A part of Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom province of Thailand (Photo: VNA)

Bangkok - Six countries along the Mekong River – Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand - have committed to working together to tackle climate change issues, according to Surasee Kittimonthon, Secretary-General of Thailand’s Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR).

Surasee said the ONWR represented Thailand at the meetings of the third Lancang-Mekong Water Resource Cooperation Forum and the 18th World Water Congress in Beijing on September 10-13.

Also present at the meetings were senior officials from six member countries of the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC). Mekong River is 4,880 kilometres in length and feeds 326 million people in those countries.

The Thai official said that the meetings were held to exchange knowledge and technology, as well as present the performance of projects funded by an MLC special fund. The meetings also reported progress of the idea exchange under the Mekong-Lancang water management cooperation between member countries.

At the meeting, Thailand stressed the importance of the cooperation between member countries in water resources management through every mechanism of society including state agencies, private and civil society sectors, or even women and youth organisations to tackle the impact of climate change such as flooded, drought and an increasing demand of fresh water.

He said Thailand proposed a water management plan based on the country’s 20-year water management masterplan aiming to achieve sustainable management of water following the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In addition, Surasee said the member countries also agreed on having the first phase of the joint study between the Mekong River Commission and MLC to pave the way for better information sharing about reservoir operations on the Mekong’s water flow, and water release as well as solutions to reduce the impact, both droughts and floods, along the areas in the countries downstream of the river.

Surasee revealed that a joint expert group will be set up to run studies. There will also be a joint Lancang-Mekong survey to study the impact on communities living along the river, he added.

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