The four Mekong River Commission (MRC) member countries – Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam – and their partners China and Myanmar intend to call for new solutions to the tremendous changes facing the Mekong River Basin.

Mekong leaders will call for new solutions at the upcoming MRC summit to address the latest challenges, they said in a January 10 press release.

The heads of government from the four MRC member countries, along with high-level delegations from their dialogue partners, will convene the 4th MRC Summit and International Conference from April 2-5 in the Lao capital Vientiane.

The event will bring the six countries together to discuss new developments, opportunities and innovative solutions to challenges, including the development-related consequences of climate change, which affect the Mekong River, the largest waterway in Southeast Asia.

“The Mekong is undergoing tremendous changes. We must constantly innovate in terms of policy, strategy and technology to make sure the management and development of the Mekong River Basin is responsible and sustainable," said Anoulak Kittikhoun, executive director of the MRC Secretariat.

“The summit will kick off with an international conference on April 2-3, which will discuss ‘Innovation and Cooperation for Sustainable Water and Mekong River Security’,” he added.

The conference is expected to bring together some 400 stakeholders and specialists from around the world, including government institutions, international organisations, representatives from the private sector and civil society organisations.

The participants will exchange their views, ideas, applied knowledge and practical experience around water-related innovations to strengthen Mekong River cooperation.