The devastation caused by Typhoon Yagi in the Mekong Region, and Mississippi River flooding from Hurricane Francine in 2024, underscored the urgent need for both Mekong countries and the United States to be better prepared for water-related disasters and to cooperate with stakeholders on water management. Over 70 million people depend on the Mekong River Basin’s ecosystem, and over 20 million people in the United States depend on the Mississippi River for their drinking water. Under the Mekong U.S. Partnership (MUSP), the Sister Rivers Partnership fosters ongoing collaboration between water management experts from Mekong River Commission countries – Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam – and the United States, to learn from each other and address the shared challenges of disaster risk reduction, sustainable river development, and regional cooperation.

The Sister Rivers Partnership between the Mekong River Commission and Mississippi River Commission was established in 2010. Since inception, both commissions convene to exchange best practices in river and water management. This year, as part of the 12th Sister Rivers Partnership Exchange, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat, together with high-level delegates from the MRC member Countries successfully concluded a five-day visit to the United States. The visit explored critical topics, including system-wide coordination of impacts of population on water resources, canals, locks and hydropower development, managing river flows for navigation, environmental planning, and climate change adaptation strategies.

From left to right: H.E HAK Socheat, Deputy Secretary General of Cambodia National Mekong Committee Secretariat; Mr. Phonepaseuth Phouliphanh, Secretary-General of Lao National Mekong Committee Secretariat; Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thu Linh, Director General of Viet Nam National Mekong Committee Secretariat; Dr. Surasri Kidtimonton, Secretary-General of the Office of the National Water Resources, Thailand, Dr. Anoulak Kittikhoun, CEO of the MRC Secretariat; MG. Kimberly A. Peeples, HON/Mr. James A. Reeder, HON/Mr. Riley James, HON/Dr. Robert Miller, RDML Ben Evans , and BG. Joseph “Clete” Goetz at Cumberland River Site, discussing the history of the Cumberland River and the ways navigation and water resources were managed

The exchange, hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Pacific Ocean Division, sponsored by the U.S. State Department, and supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) took place from 8-12 December and included key site visits and dialogues in Tennessee and New York. It brought together policymakers, water leaders and experts from both the Mekong and Mississippi basins to share perspectives and insights, and develop and further implement innovative solutions to shared water resource challenges in their respective basins.

“Water does not recognize borders, and neither should our cooperation,” said Maj. Gen. Kimberly Peeples, Commanding General of the USACE Mississippi Valley Division and 44th President of the Mississippi River Commission. “The partnership between the Mekong and Mississippi River Commissions allows us to tackle shared challenges head-on, from managing hydropower impacts to strengthening resilience against climate change. Our collective efforts today will shape a more secure and sustainable future for generations to come.”

During the visit, delegates conducted dialogue to exchange about respective challenges and ongoing actions to tackle them in their respective regions and toured key river basin management schemes and water infrastructure projects, including the Tennessee Valley Authority Powerhouse Project, Kentucky Lock expansion, Caven Point Marine Terminal, and New York City’s Boat Harbor. These site visits were complemented by in-depth discussions on waterway resiliency and integrated water resource management, drawing on expertise from the MRC, USACE’s Nashville and New York Districts, and the Mississippi River Commission.

Delegates from the Mekong River Commission (MRC), Mississippi River Commission (MiRC), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Tennessee Valley Authority stand in front of the ongoing construction at Kentucky Lock near Grand Rivers, Kentucky on 10 December 2024.

The development and management of the 49 dams in the Tennessee Valley by the Tennessee Valley Authority, in partnership with other agencies including the USACE, for multiple purposes of flood control, navigation, hydropower, water supply and recreation drew inspiration. The delegates also witnessed the integration of nature-based solutions in reforestation, riparian buffer restoration, and wetland rehabilitation. These initiatives improve water quality, reduce sedimentation in reservoirs, and enhance habitats for biodiversity.

Examples from the Tennessee-Tombigbee Canal, one of the large-scale infrastructure projects linking the Tennessee River to the Gulf of Mexico, also demonstrate regional collaboration to balance navigation, flood control, and environmental preservation – a lesson that is especially relevant for the Mekong region.

Exchanges at New York District of the USACE highlighted the experiences with balancing infrastructure and nature-based solutions in managing floods and water-related disasters, as well as advanced river and water survey techniques.

Delegates from the four Mekong countries emphasized the value of the exchange, noting its role in enhancing relationships and confidence building in tackling regional water management. They highlighted the importance of initiatives like the Sister Rivers Partnership, under the broader Mekong-U.S. Partnership, in strengthening collective efforts to tackle pressing regional and global challenges.

“The lessons we’ve gathered from the U.S. experience in river management, from large-scale infrastructure to nature-based solutions, offer an opportunity for Mekong countries to reimagine our approach to water governance. This partnership is more than an exchange of ideas. It is a call for smarter, more sustainable hydropower management, climate adaptation, and water security across our region,” said H.E. Mme Bounkham Vorachit, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Lao PDR and Chairperson of the MRC Council.

Dr. Anoulak Kittikhoun, CEO of the MRC Secretariat reiterated that “For over 14 years, the Mekong-Mississippi Sister Rivers Partnership has been a genuine exchange between equals. American water leaders and engineers are as much interested in the successes and lessons of the Mekong as much as we are interested in those in the US. This trip’s insights in system-wide river management, balancing navigation and flow management, and infrastructure and nature-based solutions will help shape ongoing and future works in the Mekong.”

The Sister Rivers Partnership aims to foster collaboration between the Mekong and Mississippi river basins to address shared challenges such as disaster risk reduction, sustainable river development, and regional cooperation. This year’s event builds on the success of the program’s January 2024 exchange held in Vietnam and Thailand. The Sister Rivers Partnership is an essential component of the broader Mekong-U.S. Partnership, which advances sustainable development, enhances disaster resilience, and fosters economic growth across the region.

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