The Lancang-Mekong River runs through six countries. It's the world's 12th longest river, discharging nearly 500 square kilometers of water each year. For countries along the river, managing water resources has been a priority. Our reporter Meng Qingsheng looks at how an enhanced water partnership is making a difference.
In this school laboratory, students are analyzing sediment pollutants. The results will determine the level of water pollution caused by humans. It's part of a training program for senior professionals at Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation.
KY SEREYVATANAK Graduate Student from Cambodia "What I'm really interesting in Environment is wastewater treatment. Because nowadays my country is a developing country, so more and more industries have been building every day. So it's really important to have a wastewater treatment in those industries."
Hohai University in eastern China's Nanjing City started this joint program in 2017. It now involves more than one hundred students from the Mekong region, complete with Chinese government scholarships.
HE XIANGQI Deputy Director-General of Boundary and Ocean Affairs, China's Ministry of Foreign Affair "China has created many opportunities and platforms for the training of water conservancy personnel and the exchanges of experts. China will continue to promote mutual benefit and mutual trust with Mekong countries by enhancing consultations, exchange of experience, and projects cooperation."
MENG QINGSHENG Jinghong, Yunnan Province "This is the Lancang River that originates from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. When it flows out of China, it becomes the Mekong, and goes through five Southeast Asian countries. In March 2016, the nations launched the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism, to tackle common challenges. And efforts to promote water resources management have topped their agenda."
According to the Sanya Declaration, the Lancang-Mekong countries launched the Water Resources Cooperation Center in 2017.
Its aim to enhance sustainable water resources management, in five key areas: technical exchanges, capacity building, drought and flood management, data and information sharing and conducting joint research and analysis.
In December, 2019, the first Ministerial Meeting of Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation took place in Beijing. Participants agreed to respect the rights and interests of countries in the development and use of water resources.
In August, 2020, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced that China will share Lancang River's hydrological data for the whole year with the Mekong countries, to help better tackle climate change and natural disasters.
In November, the same year, China launched a website for sharing hydrological data on the upper reaches of the Mekong River. Now, the countries are working together to build a stronger water partnership, and protect resources and the environment in the region.
Meng Qingsheng, CGTN, Yunnan Province.