In a historic Joint Survey coordinated by the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Water Center and the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat, experts from six riparian countries – Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, Myanmar, and China – embarked on their inaugural visit to the source of the Lancang-Mekong River. This event, from 14 to 20 July 2024, marked a significant step in entire-basin water management and cooperation.

The comprehensive survey took place in the headwaters of the basin, located in Qinghai Province, China. This region, known as Sanjiangyuan, is the birthplace of three major rivers: the Yangtze, the Yellow, and the Lancang-Mekong. The experts diligently observed the water resources and ecological environment in the headwater regions of the river shared by six countries, gathering critical information and lessons learned that would inform future water management strategies.

Over the seven-day expedition, the team of experts delved into various significant sites in Qinghai Province. Their journey included visits to Tang-Bo Ancient Road, Thousand-year-old Salt Field, the Namsei Valley, the first bend of the Lancang River, Karst landform (sinkhole), Lancang River Ancient Human Site, and the Longbaotan Wetlands.

Hans
SAYKHAM
WILLEM J. VAN DER OORD
Pham
Hatda

One crucial aspect of this Joint Survey is the generation of information and knowledge about the river conditions. By sharing data and collaborating on assessments, riparian Countries and their peoples have been able to better understand the complex dynamics of the Mekong River ecosystem. This contributes to better monitored and forecasted data on flood and drought that serve as an early warning system for communities vulnerable to these natural disasters and mitigating the impact of such events, saving lives, and minimizing damage to property and infrastructure.

 

The Improvement of Irrigation Efficiency on Paddy Fields in the Lower Mekong Basin
Project (IIEPF) is aimed at improving the efficiency of irrigation through the introduction of
guidelines covering the technical, managerial and institutional aspects of irrigation schemes
and of the operations of the facilities.
The project is funded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan
under the framework of the “Programme to Analyse and Evaluate Water and Ecosystems in
Asian Paddy Fields”. The project is implemented by the Mekong River Commission
Secretariat (MRCS) in close cooperation with the National Mekong Committees (NMCs) and
their relevant line agencies.
The first regional workshop to finalise the project document and to discuss the outline of
future project activities was held in May, 2006 at the MRCS in Vientiane, the Lao PDR.
Immediately after this regional workshop, the MRCS conducted a Rapid Appraisal Process
(RAP) training workshop in July 2006 with technical assistance provided by the FAO
Regional office in Bangkok. These workshops were followed by the initial scheme
performance appraisals at the four pilot sites. Once the baseline data for these four pilot sites
had been set up, the country teams assisted by the MRCS conducted intensive field
observations covering two crop seasons (2006 to 2007). In parallel with these field
observations, the MRCS together with the consultant from NIRE, Japan conducted two field
surveys and interviews between the middle to the end of 2007.