Mekong River countries reach agreement on sharing dam operation data.

Water level of the Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand. (Photo: Ngoc Quang/VNA)

According to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Vientiane, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) announced on September 11 that senior officials from the six countries along the Mekong River have endorsed recommendations for the first phase of a joint study between the Mekong River Commission and the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC).

This helps pave the way for better information sharing on reservoir operations and water releases on the Mekong River, as well as practical solutions to mitigate and adapt to impacts.

The announcement stated that the agreement was reached after hours of discussions between the MRC Joint Committee and the MLC Joint Working Group on Water Resources Cooperation at their historic first joint meeting held on September 10 in Beijing, China.

The meeting also agreed to establish a Joint Expert Group to oversee further joint research and the implementation of the Lancang-Mekong Joint Survey.

During the joint survey, the MRC and MLC will jointly conduct necessary field trips and surveys at key locations in the upper Mekong River basin, including relevant commitments and observations regarding the livelihoods of people and communities living along the river.

Speaking at the meeting, Dr. Anoulak Kittikhoun, Executive Director of the MRC Secretariat, said: “This is good news for the Mekong River and our people.”

One of the key recommendations in the short term is for the MRC and MLC to cooperate more closely to ensure effective, near-real-time sharing of water storage levels and hydropower operation data across the Lancang-Mekong River basin, which could help downstream communities prepare for and adapt to changes.

In the long term, the joint study recommends that both the MRC and the MLC should jointly develop action plans and strategies, including comprehensive flood and drought management strategies, as well as capacity-building plans, that can ensure coordinated water resource management and adaptation to changing river conditions.

A joint study on hydrological change patterns in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin and adaptation strategies was launched in June 2022 at the 12th Regional Stakeholder Forum of the MRC (RSF).

This study aims to understand the changing flow regime and provide recommendations that can enhance information sharing on reservoir operations across the Lancang-Mekong River basin, as well as explore practical adaptation strategies.

The initial findings and recommendations of the Joint Study are included in the first phase report and will be shared at the 13th RSF on October 5th in Luang Prabang, Laos.

Stakeholders are invited to provide input and feedback on the necessary data that will be shared along with the focus areas for the second phase of the study.

Mekong River countries reach agreement on sharing dam operation data.

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