Mekong River Commission

Australian funding helps Mekong River Commission move nearer sustainable development goal

MRC No.19/04
Vientiane, 30 November 2004

 

 

The only way to see an end to poverty in the Mekong Basin is to find sustainable ways of developing its prime resource – its water, but the Mekong River Commission cannot do this alone, the MRC’s Chief Executive Officer Dr Olivier Cogels said today.

Speaking at the MRC Secretariat in Vientiane Dr Cogels expressed his gratitude to the Australian Government for continuing its strong support of the work of the Mekong River Commission with the announcement today of a new, three-part assistance package to operate over the next three years.

“One of the major goals of the MRC is to see planned and coordinated, environmentally sound implementation of basin-wide water resources development, supported by the international donor community,” Dr Cogels said. “Assistance from Australia will help us achieve this goal.”

The Australian Government support will focus on:

• Assisting development of MRC’s next five-year strategic plan to guide management of the Mekong River Basin.
• The provision of technical expertise in natural resource management research and policy development.
• Further assistance from MRC’s current partner the Murray Darling Basin Commission and other relevant Australian organisations and institutions

The Australian Government has been a staunch supporter of the MRC since the Commission was established through the signing of the 1995 Agreement on the Cooperation for Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin. Australian assistance has assisted a broad-based capacity building in data collection and management, basin planning and public participation at the MRC Secretariat and within the four member countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam) jointly manage river resources.

Dr Cogels said for millions of people, the water of the river system remains the primary source of nutrition, but an increasing population in the existing socio-economic environment was placing huge pressure on this fragile resource. “This situation is not sustainable and urgent action is needed,” he said.

“We all know very well that water resources development in such a large, international river basin is not without risks and difficulties, however, we believe that the risks of non-development or of insufficient cooperation are even higher. We believe that, if carefully managed, the development of water resources in the Mekong basin may be the key to long term poverty alleviation and socio-economic growth in the region.”

The Australian delegation comprised:

Dr Peter Shergold AM, Secretary, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Ms Gillian Bird, First Assistant Secretary, International Division, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Mr Murray Proctor, Assistant Director General, East Asia Branch AusAID.

 

For more information, please contact:

Ms Virginia Addison, Communications Officer,
Tel: 856 21 263 263 Ext 1122.
Mobile: (856) 20 559 9139
Fax: (856-21) 263 264
Email: virginia@mrcmekong.org
Website: www.mrcmekong.org

 

 

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