Vietnam - Thailand strengthen ties on water resources management and sustainable development of the Mekong River

The working delegation includes leaders of the Viet Nam National Mekong Committee Standing Office, the National Center for Water Resources Planning and Investigation, the Department of International Cooperation, the Department of Water Resources Management, the Water Resources Institute, and the Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

During the working session with Thailand's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Deputy Minister Le Minh Ngan presented the major policy of the Party and State of Vietnam regarding administrative apparatus reform. The reform aims to streamline the organizational structure to ensure effectiveness and efficiency, including merging the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to establish a unified Ministry of Agriculture and Environment. Vietnam is also preparing to transition its local government structure from a three-tier to a two-tier system.

Additionally, Deputy Minister Le Minh Ngan shared Vietnam's experience in managing agricultural and environmental sectors, particularly in integrated management, protection, and sustainable development of water resources and river basin governance.

On the Thai side, Ms. Oranuj Lorphensri, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, outlined the Ministry's functions and responsibilities, including state management of water resources, wetlands conservation, and climate change response. She also emphasized the establishment and operation of river basin organizations in Thailand.

Ms. Oranuj Lorphensri highly appreciated the cooperation achievements between the Governments of Thailand and Vietnam in recent years, highlighting the elevation of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. She also expressed deep admiration for Vietnam's reform.

As both Ministries perform the function of state management of water resources, Deputy Minister Le Minh Ngan emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation and exchange of experiences in the integrated management, protection, and sustainable development of water resources, as well as river basin management, in the coming time. The two sides also agreed to assign their respective focal agencies to further promote bilateral cooperation and experience-sharing in water resources management, river basin governance, and climate change response.

Within the framework of the working visit to Thailand, the delegation from Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment also visited and worked with Thailand's Office of National Water Resources and the Thai National Mekong Committee Secretariat​​ Office.

At the meetings, the Thai side shared the functions, responsibilities, and organizational structure of the Office of National Water Resources, along with their experiences in water resources and river basin management and the roles and activities of river basin organizations. They also discussed ways to enhance coordination between the two National Mekong Committees within the framework of cooperation under the Mekong River Commission and other relevant bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms.

Deputy Minister Le Minh Ngan highly valued Thailand's achievements and experience in water resources management, particularly in operating river basin organization models. He also underscored the common challenges faced by Mekong River basin countries, including floods, droughts, and riverbank and coastal erosion.

According to the Deputy Minister, addressing these challenges requires close coordination among riparian countries, including Thailand and Vietnam, along with adequate support from the Mekong River Commission.

In the near future, through the Mekong River Commission's activities, the two sides will continue to promote the sharing of information and data among member countries and with the two upstream nations, China and Myanmar, particularly meteorological and hydrological information and real-time data from monitoring stations and reservoirs.

The two countries will also enhance the exchange of plans, strategies, programs, and projects related to the exploitation and utilization of water resources, enabling better preparedness and more effective responses to natural disasters and climate change. At the same time, they aim to work toward the development of operational mechanisms for reservoirs across the basin to optimize benefits for all stakeholders and to implement modern, efficient decision support systems.

Both sides also agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation activities further and continue sharing experiences in water resources and river basin management, as well as in addressing cooperation issues within the Mekong River basin and the Mekong River Commission. These efforts aim to contribute to the effective and sustainable management of water resources in both Vietnam and Thailand while promoting the sustainable development of the Mekong River basin.