A part of Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom province of Thailand (Photo: VNA) Surasee said the ONWR represented Thailand at the meetingsof the third Lancang-Mekong Water Resource Cooperation Forum and the 18th WorldWater Congress in Beijing on September 10-13.
Also present at the meetings were senior officials from sixmember countries of the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC). Mekong River is 4,880 kilometres in lengthand feeds 326 million people in those countries.
The Thai official said that the meetings were held toexchange knowledge and technology, as well as present the performance ofprojects funded by an MLC special fund. The meetings also reported progressof the idea exchange under the Mekong-Lancang water management cooperationbetween member countries.
At the meeting, Thailand stressed the importance of thecooperation between member countries in water resources management through everymechanism of society including state agencies, private and civil societysectors, or even women and youth organisations to tackle the impact of climatechange such as flooded, drought and an increasing demand of fresh water.
He said Thailand proposed a water management plan based onthe country’s 20-year water management masterplan aiming to achieve sustainablemanagement of water following the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In addition, Surasee said the member countries also agreed on having the firstphase of the joint study between the Mekong River Commission and MLC to pavethe way for better information sharing about reservoir operations on theMekong’s water flow, and water release as well as solutions to reduce theimpact, both droughts and floods, along the areas in the countries downstream ofthe river.
Surasee revealed that a joint expert group will be set up torun studies. There will also be a joint Lancang-Mekong survey to study theimpact on communities living along the river, he added./.
VNA
