The Mekong-U.S. Partnership and the Friends of the Mekong: Proven Partners for the Mekong Region

The Mekong-U.S. Partnership and the Friends of the Mekong: Proven Partners for the Mekong Region - United States Department of State The countries of the Mekong sub-region and the United States reaffirmed their long-standing relationship at the second Mekong-U.S. Partnership (MUSP) ministerial on August 2, 2021. Through the MUSP, the U.S. government, working with Congress, continues…

Secretary Blinken’s Participation in the Mekong-U.S. Partnership Ministers’ Meeting

Secretary Blinken’s Participation in the Mekong-U.S. Partnership Ministers’ Meeting - United States Department of State The below is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price: On August 2, Secretary Blinken co-hosted the second Mekong-U.S. Partnership ministerial.  The Secretary emphasized U.S. commitment to a resilient, secure, interconnected, and open Mekong sub-region and emphasized the region’s importance to the…

United States, South Korea, and Mekong River Commission Partnership Launches

Senior officials from the United States, Republic of Korea, and the Mekong River Commission (MRC) launched cooperation on July 20 on water data utilization and capacity building for the Mekong region. The partnership will see specialists and scientists from Korea Water Resources Corporation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and NASA provide at least six training events to professionals from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam on various decision-support system topics, including modelling, water data utilization and knowledge transfer.

Measuring What We Manage

Did you know that the US Government’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) makes its data available online for free? People can also make use of its data tools and data “recipes,” through its online tutorials for accessing and using data. Now, the Sustainable Infrastructure Partnership (SIP) is working with NASA and other government agencies to…

Mekong Heroes: Vietnam

Meet Ngoc Tuyet, a first-generation engineering student at Can Tho University and a participant in USAID’s Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) Program. As a first-generation student and woman in a male-dominated field, Tuyet tells viewers about her motivation behind pursuing a STEM degree and discusses how her participation in EPICS has positively shaped her life and professional aspirations. Subtitled versions available for Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.

Learning to Manage Groundwater Data in Thailand

A professional cohort of geologists and planners from Thailand’s Department of Groundwater Resources (DGR) has learned new skills for managing groundwater data, through a custom-designed training course led by the US Geological Survey (USGS).  Thai farmers and poor household in some of the driest parts of the country rely on groundwater for drinking and irrigation,…

“Strengthening Sustainable Seed System for the Lower Mekong Countries” Workshop June 8-10, 2021

Mekong-U.S. Partnership Virtual Workshop will be organized by ‘The Asia and Pacific Seed Association’ on 8- 10 June 2021 as a virtual workshop. The theme would be "Strengthening Sustainable Seed System for the Lower Mekong Countries”. This Activity is a component of the Seed Trade Capacity Building Project in the Lower Mekong Region funded under the Mekong-U.S. Partnership (MUSP), formerly known as Lower Mekong Initiative. Following the successful first Mekong Regional workshop on seeds on 2018, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service is inviting Country Representative from the Seed Offices of Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia to attend the Lower Mekong Seed Regional Workshop. During this time Seed Trade Capacity Building in the Lower Mekong Progress Report will be presented by Government official delegations’ representative on each topic (Plant variety protection, seed lab accreditation, seed certification and phyto-sanitary regulation).  Discussion groups will be organized to review on the priority and the type of capacity building training is needed in the region and in its respective country.<

NexGen Program Announcement

Mekong-US Partnership Financial Support for your Mekong Project NexGen Mekong Scientists can provide up to 6-month research assistantships for your Mekong Based project. NexGen empowers Mekong young scientists and early career professionals from the region to responsibly steward the Mekong River Basin and its natural resources. NexGen promotes interdisciplinary approaches to the complex challenges faced…

Happy World Water Day

Happy World Water Day on March 22! More than 70 million people rely on the Mekong River. Climate change threatens the reliability of water supplies, impacting livelihoods and disrupting critical ecosystems. The United States enhances water security by increasing access to safe drinking water and sanitation, managing freshwater resources, encouraging shared water cooperation, and strengthening water sector management.

Mekong-U.S. Partnership Track 1.5 Policy Dialogue #1

The Stimson Center and the International Union of Nature (IUCN) will host the first of six Mekong-US Partnership Track 1.5 Policy Dialogues, with the first four-day event beginning March 19 (Asia)/March 18 (U.S.). The opening plenary session will feature keynote remarks from Ambassador Atul Keshap, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs and a high-level panel. The opening plenary session is open to the public and press. RSVP to attend opening plenary: March 19, 8:30am ICT (9:30pm EDT).

Release of the Transboundary River Governance Conference Report: February 25

Please join the East-West Center for the release of the Report from the Indo-Pacific Conference on Strengthening Governance of Transboundary Rivers. This webinar will feature discussion with U.S. government officials on the report, which details the findings of the October 2020 Conference that convened partners and stakeholders from across the Indo-Pacific region to share best practices and lessons learned related to the cooperative development and management of transboundary rivers.

Investigating Energy Alternatives to Hydropower

Once viewed as a clean energy source, the impacts of mainstream hydropower dams on the Mekong are now plain to see. They include fisheries decline, biodiversity loss, waterway transport disruptions, and falling household incomes in riverside communities.  In 2020, Cambodia called a 10-year moratorium on building any more hydropower dams domestically. But over the border…