Regional Water Knowledge Hub for Trans-boundary Water Resources Management

MRC’s Expertise

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) is a regional inter-governmental agency for the sustainable development of water and related resources in the Mekong River Basin. Committed to coordinating work across many sectors, the organisation's effectiveness is dependent on communication with its stakeholders: the governmental; civil society; and private sectors of the Mekong nations. The mission of the MRC will be achieved through an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approach within the framework of the 1995 Mekong Agreement which combines the value-added capabilities of the MRC, namely, knowledge management and capacity development, a framework for regional cooperation, and environmental monitoring and protection. MRC is coordinating programmes in a broad range of water-related technical fields, conducting research, analysing indicators and implementing activities designed to promote the two-way communication services that enable the engagement of stakeholders in water resources development issues.

With its unique legal mandate, knowledge base and expertise in the areas of water and related resources management together with its eff ective regional cooperation framework in these areas, MRC is well placed to provide data, information technology infrastructure and knowledge expertise and services to its clients.

MRC’s Services

MRC mission is to promote and coordinate sustainable management and development of water and related resources for the countries' mutual benefit and the people's well-being.

As the regional water knowledge hub for transboundary water resources management (TWRM), MRC brings benefits to both MRC and other client organizations in the region that are addressing similar challenges in water and related resources management by:

• Providing knowledge, experiences, good practices and tools for TWRM, with a view to promote and support coordinated, sustainable and pro-poor development, and enhance effective regional cooperation;
• Acting as a focal point for stakeholders engaged in TWRM issues in Asia, supported by comparative analysis of trans-boundary water resource management practices and lessons from Asia, etc.;
• Supporting dialogues between trans-boundary basin stakeholders by organsing roundtables of decisionmakers and senior offi cial;
• Developing and providing practical tools for TWRM, including (i) guidelines, manuals and good practice papers; (ii) models and other software; and (iii) decision support systems;
• Providing advisory services for TWRM and related issues as per demand, drawing on expertise of MRC and partners organisations; and
• Organising study tours, within the Asian region, and to trans-boundary basins in other regions, to learn, share experiences, get inspiration and building networks and alliances

MRC’s Knowledge Partners

As a regional inter-governmental organisation of the Lower Mekong Basin, the MRC has partnership relations with key knowledge centres in each of the its four Member Countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam) as well as upstream Dialogue Partners (China and Myanmar).

In addition, key partners will include other closely related Knowledge Hubs and international organisations such as:

• Knowledge Hub for River Basin Management (CRBOM, Indonesia)
• Knowledge Hub for IWRM in Central Asia (CAIRC, Uzbekistan)
• Knowledge Hub for Water Governance, (IWP/LKYSPP, Singapore)
• Knowledge Hub for Water Resources Management in Mountainous Areas, (ICIMOD, Nepal)
• International Union for Conservation of Nature, Regional Offi ce, Bangkok, Thailand

Other regional partners to be further explored and considered are expected to include organisations such as:

• Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok
• AquaJaring (Southeast Asia Regional Network for Capacity Building in IWRM)
• Asian Development Bank
• Food and Agriculture Organisation, Regional Offi ce, Bangkok, Thailand
• Global Water Partnership: GWP Southeast Asia, GWP South Asia, GWP China
• International Water Management Institute, Regional Offi ce, Vientiane, LAO PDR
• Mekong Institute, Thailand
• M-Power, Chiang Mai, Thailand
• Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Australia
• Network of Asian River Basin Organisations
• Regional trans-boundary RBO's/commissions in Asia, both trans-national and inter-state/province
• Sustainable Mekong Research Network (Sumernet), Thailand
• United Nations University, Japan
• United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacifi c (UN-ESCAP), Bangkok, Thailand
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP-ROAP), Bangkok, Thailand
• World Wide Fund for Nature Greater Mekong Freshwater Programme
• Wetlands Alliance

Contact Information

Tran Van Tuan
Programme Coordinator
Information and Knowledge Management Programme
Mekong River Commission Secretariat (MRCS)
184 Fa Ngoum Road, Vientiane 01000, Lao PDR
Tel: (856-21) 263263
Fax: (856-21) 268264
Email: TWRM_hub@mrcmekong.org
Website: www.mrcmekong.org