Urgent responses to climate change in the Mekong river are required

With rapid economic development, exponential population growth, urbanisation, industrialisation, and increased agricultural production in the region, the demand for water and river-based resources has dramatically increased, which gives rise to environmental degradation, resource scarcity, and struggles among diverse groups of resource users including local people, development agencies, conservation organisations, and private sectors, and between upstream and downstream nations.

Mekong countries’ diplomats call for more experience sharing in water governance upon in-person visits to China’s dams

After visiting the Nuozhadu and Jinghong hydropower stations, built on the Lancang River – upstream of the Mekong River that links six riparian countries – in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, last week, envoys learned about the running techniques of Chinese-built dams and underlined the potential contribution of reservoirs to downstream communities in regulating flood and replenishing drought.

Summit on future of Mekong to be held

Thailand will later this year host the 28th meeting of the council of the Mekong River Commission. At a meeting this week Thai officials discussed progress on the process of prior consultation in the Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement off the Sanakham hydropower project, proposed on the Mekong mainstream between Xayaburi and Vientiane provinces of neighbouring Laos.