Press Releases
Signing and Exchange of Notes Concerning Grant Aid “the Project for Strengthening Water Quality Management in the Lower Mekong Basin,” coordinated with Mekong River Commissions (MRC)
On February 9, in Vientiane, the capital of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mr. KOIZUMI Tsutomu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Lao People's Democratic Republic, and Ms. Busadee SANTIPITAKS, Chief Executive Officer of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat, signed and exchanged notes for the Grant Aid “the Project for Strengthening Water Quality Management in the Lower Mekong Basin” (grant provision of up to 424 million yen).
- In the middle and lower Mekong River basin, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the Kingdom of Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam have achieved robust economic growth. However, these countries are also experiencing increasing adverse impacts arising from water quality deterioration, associated with mining development, rapid industrialization, and the rise in urban wastewater discharge. River water quality is directly linked to public health and the sustenance of livelihoods, including drinking water supply, agriculture, fisheries, and tourism. Accordingly, strengthening measures to improve water quality through cooperation among the Mekong River Basin countries has become a challenge.
- The Project aims to contribute to the sustainable economic development of the Mekong region by enhancing water quality survey and management capacities in the four countries mentioned above, and by building a foundation for international cooperation, through the procurement of equipment for water quality monitoring and pollutant reduction, as well as technical assistance related to water quality management capabilities.
- This Project embodies the cooperation in the area of water resource management and disaster risk reduction, as outlined in the “Mekong-Japan Cooperation Strategy 2024,” to support efforts towards transboundary water management.
(Reference1) Mekong River Commission (MRC)
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) was established in accordance with the “Agreement on Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin” signed by four lower basin countries (Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos) in 1995. The MRC cooperates for the mutual benefit of the sustainable development, utilization, conservation and management of the water resources of the Mekong River Basin.
(Reference2) Mekong-Japan Cooperation Strategy 2024
The Mekong-Japan Cooperation Strategy 2024 is a policy for cooperation between Japan and the Mekong region countries for the next five years adopted at the 15th Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting in July 2024.