Phnom Penh: The Mekong River Commission Secretariat Chief Executive Officer Dr. An Pich Hatda has called the “friends” of the Mekong to play a more critical role in realizing the objectives of the Basin Development Strategy for the Mekong River Basin 2021–2030, a transformative blueprint for improving the state of the basin over the next decade. The Friends of the Mekong is a multinational effort that enables integrated cooperation between and among Cambodia, Myanmar, Lao PDR, Thailand, Viet Nam, the United States, Australia, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, the European Union, the MRC Secretariat, ADB, and the World Bank.

Hatda made the calling during the landmark Friends of the Mekong Ministerial Meeting last Thursday. He says, “I call for a deeper and stronger engagement from all our Friends. In extending assistance to the Basin Development Strategy, ‘Friends’ could elect to choose their level of participation whilst recognizing the impact of climate change in the Mekong River Basin and Southeast Asia in general.”

The MRC advocates water infrastructures especially hydropower dams be better coordinated, and that energy planning should consider the full range of viable alternative generation sources as new environmentally friendly, economically feasible technologies emerge. The MRC Secretariat has added, “It is our joint, but perhaps differentiated responsibility, to ensure that the Mekong River can continue to support livelihoods and remain a beacon of peace and prosperity, in the region and for all.”