Effective planning, negotiation, and problem-solving built on trust and shared understanding is paramount for the MRC, as an inter-governmental organization working towards sustainable development through dialogue and cooperation within the Lower Mekong Basin.

Last week, the Joint Committee members of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and senior staff of the MRC Secretariat (MRCS) embarked on a two-day retreatand collaboration workshop themed ‘Building capacity in shared vision planning and negotiation for sustainable water resource management’. The event, which wassupported by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Mississippi River Commission and the Lower Mekong Initiative, sought to enhance strategic collaboration and negotiation for the MRC management body.

The two-day workshop explored development opportunities, challenges and trade-offs in the basin. Facilitated by experts from USACE and MRCS, the workshop recapped principles of interest-based negotiation and collaborative problem solving and principles of shared vision and scenario planning for decision making on integrated water resource management. The principles were then put into practice in a fun, competitive, and collaborative series of activities including the ‘Dam Building Game’. This game brought actual development and challenges in the Lower Mekong into perspective, allowing participants to explore the benefits, challenges, and tradeoffs of national developments across four nations sharing the Mekong and how to optimise benefits for the basin.

“This workshop was an excellent opportunity for us to reflect in a non-working setting on how the MRC could better engage in solving a very complex challenge of the water resources development and management” said MRC CEO Pham Tuan Phan.“The JC and MRCS have already agreed to build on and bring back home the principles and tools from the workshop and apply them to the Council Study and basin planning activities”.

This retreat and workshop is part of the partnership between the MRC and Mississippi River Commission established in 2010 around common interests in water resource development and management, and sharing of technical expertise and lessons learned. This follows a visit by members of the MRC Council to the United States in April 2017 to exchange experiences and best practices with the Mississippi River Commission.

See more photos of the event at: https://www.facebook.com/mrcmekong/videos/1527735990581862/

-END-

JC retreat game

Participants playing in a fun, competitive and collaborative “Dam Building Game” to explore benefits, challenges, and tradeoffs of national development in a transboundary watershed.

 

 

 

JC retreat beach walk

Recreational beach activity after day 1 of the workshop.