The Mekong's Water Security and ASEAN's Key to a Safe and Sustainable Future

[ASEAN NOW]

 

The inaugural ASEAN-MRC Water Security Dialogue, held last week, presented three theme ideas linked to policy, technology, and cooperation that can assist Mekong and ASEAN countries in addressing existential water security concerns.

“There is a rising need for sustainable paths to assure a water-secure area in the face of changing weather and hydrological regimes globally,” said Phonepaseuth Phouliphanh, Acting Chairperson of the MRC Joint Committee for 2021. “It requires regional governments and their partners to demonstrate leadership, creativity, and strategic collaboration.”

 

Senior officials and experts at the policy level urged all parties and players to promote greater transparency and deeper participation in order to improve the long-term management of water and related resources across the ASEAN region.

 

The two-day debate concluded last Friday with the need for progressive policy and institutional reforms that enhance integrated water resources management (IWRM). There were also calls for more regional and local integration, particularly in the areas of water resource planning, pollution management, early forecasting and warning, and public awareness.

 

Technology, on the other hand, plays an important role. Digitalization and advanced modeling technologies, such as artificial intelligence and digital twins, are now among the most effective ways to manage regional water resource information. These techniques, when used together, improve local competence in managing water-related risks such as floods and droughts, as well as the quality and quantity of reservoir water.

 

Delegates also proposed that more public-private partnerships be used and that engagement with a wide variety of institutions be pursued. Deeper involvement with the private sector can assist ASEAN governments in gaining access to new technology, while stronger regional collaboration can allow the interchange of IWRM expertise and stimulate long-term investments.

 

“Over the years, the conservation of the region's water resources has been a vital component of ASEAN's work,” said Kung Phoak, ASEAN's Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. Mr. Kung emphasized the importance of promoting regional cooperation and strengthening links among ASEAN countries to address emerging water issues such as equitable access to safe and affordable water, enough water to ensure food security and support the region's economies, and long-term solutions to mitigate water-related hazards.

 

More than 70 million people rely on the Mekong River as a source of income and survival, in part or totally. However, in many places of the larger ASEAN region, pressing transboundary concerns have reached a crucial juncture, necessitating deeper and greater regional integration to narrow development disparities.

 

Environmental deterioration has increased during the more than 25 years since the MRC was created, according to recent modeling by the MRC on the impact of regional growth.

 

Several proposals discussed at the meeting may serve as the foundation for a regional mechanism to improve dialogue and coordination. To address the impact of human interventions and disparities between countries, ASEAN countries and development partners must communicate more information and provide more technical and financial help.

 

The First ASEAN-MRC Water Security Dialogue was founded on the ASEAN-MRC cooperation framework signed in 2018. Through improved cooperation and coordination, the MRC Secretariat and Lower Mekong countries, in collaboration with ASEAN Member States, are committed to realizing the 1995 Mekong Agreement's objectives and ASEAN's vision for water security by 2025.

 

While the first ASEAN-MRC Water Security Dialogue focused on technical exchanges and solutions among ASEAN officials and experts, the second dialogue, set for 2023, may focus on policy discussions including a broader variety of stakeholders.

 

ASEAN and the MRC will meet to explore how to turn the dialogue's core proposals into policy.