By Dr Anoulak Kittikhoun, CEO of the Mekong River Commission Secretariat

Three years ago, I stepped into the role as CEO of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat, with a belief that has only grown stronger with time: the power of diplomacy and development can overcome even the most complex challenges. It is diplomacy and development that foster regional cooperation and respond to the needs of the people.

Water levels in the Mekong keep shifting unpredictably, from 5 years of drought to a year of severe flooding, including on the mainstream, it’s clear that the future of our region depends on how quickly and decisively we can act. The 13th Regional Stakeholder Forum and the 2nd ASEAN-MRC Water Security Dialogue made one thing very clear — water security in the Mekong isn’t just a regional concern; it’s a global priority.

For over 70 million people who rely on the Mekong for food, water, and energy, the stakes could not be higher. Agriculture, the backbone of rural economies, is under threat as unpredictable water flows disrupt planting and harvest seasons. Fisheries, which provide crucial food and income for millions, are also at risk as low flows, barriers and overexploitation made their marks. Meanwhile, hydropower, navigation and other infrastructure developments – essential for energy security and economic growth – have led to disruptions, sparking concerns about equitable benefit sharing and environmental management.

In 2024, Typhoon Yagi and an unrelenting monsoon season have unleashed floods that swept through homes, farms, and entire communities, leaving families to pick up the pieces amid growing uncertainty.

And with these challenges, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. Some might want to throw up their hands and declare diplomacy and development a failure. They see stalled negotiations, slow processes, and political hurdles, and they lose faith.

Diplomacy and development isn’t a given; it is earned through dialogue, trust and constant work.

The past three years, we have seen the power of persistence pay off. After 18 long years of debate, we finally secured an agreement on the Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines – a historic move that allows countries to assess and address potential impacts of major development projects across borders, including in the tributaries. For the first time, Laos applied these guidelines for the Sekong A hydropower project, setting a precedent for both transparency and good development in the region.

In our 4th summit, we brought together Mekong leaders, who issued highest level commitment to the mandate of the MRC, reaffirming their shared responsibility for sustainable water resource development and transboundary cooperation. By aligning national priorities with regional plans, procedures and guidelines, the commitments made the 4th summit, set a clear path forward collective action.

And significantly, we broke new ground in developing joint cooperation mechanisms with China and the Mekong Lancang Cooperation – joint Lancang-Mekong survey and joint MRC-LMC expert group. Mekong countries agreed to share real-time dam operational data – a long-sought goal that will allow upstream and downstream communities to better anticipate water flow changes, reducing impacts and saving lives.

Regionally, the MRC’s role within ASEAN has expanded. Non-Mekong ASEAN members, like Indonesia and Singapore, are expanding cooperation with the MRC, seeing the Mekong as a strategic asset for Southeast Asia’s food, energy, and environmental security. Such recognition signals a shift toward a more integrated approach to water source management across the ASEAN region. We do this at the same time as maintaining close relations with our traditional development partners and even adding new ones such as Canada and South Korea.

The cooperation has also led us to the establishment of the Core River Monitoring Network with 81 stations – including 21 new automatic stations for water level and water quality monitoring, enhancing real-time observation of the river’s conditions. The deployment of modern CCTV systems and the launch of the AI-driven One Mekong App mark a shift toward smarter, faster, and more inclusive data-sharing with the public.

We also further developed our flood and drought forecasting systems and decision support framework. By integrating better satellite data, bias correction tools, new models and modernizing our Regional Flood and Drought Management Center, we’ve significantly improved early warning systems. These tools helped communities prepare and respond more effectively when typhoons like Yagi struck.

None of this happened overnight. None of it was easy.

When you walk through the modern halls of the MRC Secretariat Headquarters in Vientiane or the Regional Flood and Drought Management Center in Phnom Penh, you see teams working day and night, testing new models, analysing data, preparing public information and ensuring that our reports are ready for decision-makers and stakeholders when they need them most. They are supported by administration staff who make sure our finance, procurement, information technology and human resources are in order. We are all proud to present the MRC Education and Visitor Center, which will help raise awareness of the Mekong’s importance and what everyone can do to make a difference for one of the world’s great rivers.

This is what progress looks like. Some are quick. Others take a bit of time. But all are real.

So, as I prepare to pass the torch, I remain firm in my belief that the cooperation frameworks, tools and Mekong spirit we have established and nurtured thus far will help address and resolve the remaining seemingly intractable issues, including the development of major infrastructure projects from hydropower to navigation. They will also set the stage for the next series of breakthroughs: joint flood forecasting, notification and disaster response; joint development projects; and a Mekong Fund to better peoples’ lives.

Because, as history has shown us time and again, it is only through collective action – imperfect, messy, and unrelenting – that we make progress. It’s a belief rooted in experience, but also in hope – hope that when nations come together with a shared purpose, we can turn division into dialogue and conflict into cooperation. This is how we honour our shared responsibility to the Mekong and secure a more just, resilient, and prosperous future for all.