MRC adopts water development strategy
The MRC members, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos
and Thailand , together with their dialogue partners, China and
Myanmar, met in Vietnam’s biggest economic hub for the MRC
Council’s 17th meeting and its donors’ 15 th meeting.
The MRC
members officially inked the MRC’s water quality procedure to ensure
water quality and prompt responses to possible risks in the basin.
They
discussed the tempo of implementation of the Hua Hin Declaration on
cooperation with dialogue partners and regional partners, and dealt with
environmental evaluations on hydropower projects on the Mekong’s main
stream and a related report delivered by Laos.
Present at the
event, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai said natural
resources in the Mekong basin, especially water resources, are being
threatened by various challenges and difficulties, and as a result the
livelihood of dozens of millions of people living in the area is
affected.
He asked the MRC Council to focus on measures to
promote sustainable development of water resources for effectively
tackling climate change and protecting the ecosystem and lives of those
living in the lower area while seeking ways to further cooperation with
its strategic partners.
The leader affirmed Vietnam’s
resolution, commitment, and full cooperation with other MRC members in
implementing the 1995 Mekong Agreement and the Hua Hin Declaration.
He
took the occasion to call on strategic partners, other stakeholders and
international organisations to continue to assist the MRC in fulfilling
its set tasks.
The Vietnamese leader said he was pleased to
receive reports from the National Mekong Commissions of MRC member
nations regarding initial outcomes they achieved in implementing the Hua
Hin Declaration.
He said that MRC members have treasured
positive signals from their dialogue partners, especially the level of
commitment and strong cooperative activities made by China, and
Myanmar's wish to join the MRC.
Hai laid stress on ASEAN
leaders’ discussion at their 2010 summits concerning the promotion
of sustainable development, environmental protection and adaption to
climate change in the Mekong basin, and initial deployment of the
Mekong-US and Mekong-Japan initiatives.
“Those outcomes are
attributable to close cooperation of the MRC members, assistance from
their strategic partners and the international community, as well as
efforts made by the Commission’s Secretariat,” Hai noted.
Vietnamese
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dr. Pham Khoi Nguyen
described the participation of Chinese and Myanmar officials alongside
the MRC members in these events as a reflection of mutual concern as
well as strong optimism over the future of the Mekong basin.
Representing
Vietnam , which holds the chair of the MRC Council in the 2010-2011
term, Minister Nguyen said the MRC’s cooperation with dialogue partners
is being broadened with visits to China, and especially to Myanmar,
to estimate its potential in joining the MRC in the future.
Nguyen
affirmed that the MRC is greatly concerned about climate change,
especially sea water rise and salt infiltration, for its serious effects
on farming, aquaculture, and also the livelihood of people in the
basin.
Accordingly, the MRC will give its top priority to
mainstream climate change-related matters into plans of branches
concerned and will assist MRC member governments in making plans and
implementing them via its climate change adaptation initiative, Nguyen
said./.