16 December 2017: The Global Water Partnership (GWP) is supporting transboundary cooperation on the Lancang-Mekong river through a partnership among GWP China, GWP Southeast Asia, and the PRC’s Ministry of Water Resources. The Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center was established in Beijing, China in March 2017. Since, several cooperation activities have taken place, including joint technical training, meetings, and study visits.
On 3 December, the Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center (LMWRCC), GWP China, GWP Southeast Asia and the Global Water Partnership Organization (GWPO) met in Beijing, China. While the Lancang-Mekong cooperation largely takes place through meetings of country leaders, foreign ministers, senior officials and technical working groups, the Beijing meeting agreed that non-government stakeholders will also be a part of the Lancang-Mekong cooperation. GWP will support this through initiating a consultative multi-stakeholder meeting, which is expected to provide input to a five-year work plan on the Lancang-Mekong cooperation. Countries’ respective water development priorities will be incorporated as elements of the five-year strategy. At the meeting, GWP Southeast Asia announced its intention to invite representatives of the LMWRCC to several Mekong countries in February 2018.
GWP also supported senior officials from the Mekong partner countries to attend an LMWRCC seminar on water and food security that took place on 5 December, also in Beijing. Participants discussed their experiences and perspectives on river basin governance in relation to food security and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Watt Botkosal (Cambodia), Chair of GWP Southeast Asia, noted that his previous experience of working with the Mekong River Commission for 20 years had anticipated the current fruitful cooperation involving China and the Mekong countries in water sharing and mutual learning.
Previously, officials from the Mekong countries took part in a technical training program on flood control from 23 November – 2 December 2017 in Wuhan Province, China.
Countries involved in the Lancang-Mekong cooperation are China, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam. The cooperation mechanism was initially proposed by China Premier Li Keqiang at the 17th meeting of China and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in November 2015. Foreign ministers from the Lancang-Mekong countries have met twice, first in Jinghong, China, in November 2015, then in Siem Reap, Cambodia, in December 2016. [State Council Information Office of the PRC Press Release] [GWP Press Release on Technical Training Programme] [GWP Press Release on Food Security Seminar] [GWP Press Release on 3 December meeting]