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Mekong Public Forum in Can Tho, Vietnam

On March 20th, 2018, International Rivers, PanNature, Mekong Environment Forum, and Save the Mekong Coalition co-organized the forum “The Mekong Under Threat: Protecting People and Ecosystems in a Fast-Changing Basin” in Can Tho, Vietnam. The forum is to facilitate a public platform for exchanging information and perspectives on existing challenges for the Mekong basin. 

This event  provided space for community representatives from Lower Mekong basin countries to share their views on changes to the river ecosystems, impacts on their livelihoods and everyday life, as well as express their concerns and recommendations to policy-makers in the region. On the other hand, relevant agencies and scientists joined the forum to respond to voices of local communities and share their perspectives on impacts of climate change and hydropower development on the Mekong basin. Forum discussions included alternatives for energy demand and proposals for ways toward sustainable and fair development at basin-scale for countries to realize UN SDGs.

More than 150 representatives from government agencies, civil society organizations  and communities from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam participated in this forum.

Forum agenda and presentations of guest speakers in the Forum are as below:

Agenda 

The study on Sustainable Management and Development of the Mekong River Including Impacts by Mainstream Hydropower Projects (Council study)

Dr. Naruepon Sukumasavin, Mekong River Commission Secretariat 

Hydropower Dams, Water Governance, and Impacts on The Lower Mekong Basin

Dr. Le Viet Phu, Lower Mekong Public Policy Initiative (LMPPI), Fulbright University Vietnam

The Challenges in Mekong Basin

Dr. Duong Van Ni, Can Tho University

Alternative Visions for the Mekong Development and the Basin – National and Regional Energy Development 

Mr. Tran Dinh Sinh, Vice Director of GreenID

Vietnam River Network and its Achievement in Sustainable Development Goals

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Van, Vietnam Rivers Network

Save the Mekong Coalition Statement on the Occasion of World Water Day

MRC’s Coucil Study

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