As concerns over water quality continue to emerge in parts of the Mekong and its tributaries, students from across the region are gaining firsthand experience in how scientific monitoring helps support informed decision-making, regional cooperation, and sustainable river management.

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) launched the Mekong Youth Clean Water Challenge from 31 March to 4 April 2026, bringing together 20 students from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam to learn directly from experts and experience how water quality monitoring is conducted in the field and laboratory.

 The programme aimed not only to strengthen technical understanding, but also to encourage regional learning and greater awareness of the importance of evidence-based water management.

Learning before entering the field

Students from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam began the programme with a full-day workshop, where experts introduced key water quality challenges facing the Mekong Basin and explained how scientific monitoring supports decision-making and river management.

From classroom to river

Students travelled on the Namkhan River and the Mekong to collect water samples directly from the river. Working alongside technical experts, the students learned how monitoring is carried out in real conditions and why accurate data matters for communities across the basin. The field session gave students practical experience in collecting, storing, and preparing water samples for laboratory testing, turning theory into real-world practice.

Understanding the river beyond the numbers

The collected samples were later transported to the BEI Laboratory, where students observed how scientists analyse water quality and assess river conditions using laboratory equipment and scientific methods. For the students, the experience revealed that water quality is not only measured through scientific numbers, but through its impact on fisheries, food security, livelihoods, ecosystems, and the future resilience of communities throughout the basin.

From river samples to regional voices

What began with water samples collected along the river ended on the Mekong Day stage, where students transformed scientific findings into powerful ideas for the future of the Mekong.

Drawing from their fieldwork and laboratory experience, the young participants presented bold and practical solutions on water quality, pollution, and community awareness, showing that the next generation is not only learning about the Mekong’s challenges, but is also ready to become part of the solution.