Vientiane, Lao PDR, 29 April 2026 – In a major step to strengthen regional cooperation on water security, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen collaboration on water resource management, climate resilience, and sustainable development across the Mekong region.

The new partnership brings together the MRC’s basin-wide expertise and Singapore’s advanced capabilities in technology, innovation, and urban water management, opening a new chapter of practical cooperation at a time when the Mekong region is facing growing pressures from climate change, extreme weather variability, and increasing demand for water resources.

“While Singapore is not a riparian state, it has an interest in developments in the region. From shifting weather patterns, changes in crop yields, to environmental challenges and transnational crime, developments in the Mekong River Basin can easily affect other parts of the region and the world,” said H.E. Ong Siew Gay, Singapore Ambassador to Lao PDR. He added, “Singapore hopes to be able to make a modest but meaningful contribution. As the world goes through disruptive change, and fragmentation and geopolitical contestation accelerates, regional countries and external partners will have no choice but to double down on greater international cooperation.”

The MoU outlines three main areas of cooperation.

One key focus is the use of satellite and geospatial technologies to improve how the region tracks climate patterns and water conditions, supporting early warnings and better preparedness for extreme weather events. Another area looks at agriculture and economic resilience, including research on drought-resistant crops and knowledge exchange to improve productivity. The third area centres on water governance and urban water management, with an emphasis on sharing expertise in wastewater treatment, water quality management, and water recycling. Training and capacitybuilding will be carried out in collaboration with Singapore’s institutions.

The agreement provides a flexible framework for cooperation over an initial period of five years, allowing both sides to jointly develop and implement activities aligned with the priorities of the current MRC’s Strategic Plan 2026-2030, particularly in strengthening resilience to climate risks, including floods and droughts.

“The MRC welcomes the MoU with Singapore as it recognises the immense value and importance of building shared prosperity through regional cooperation with non-riparian Member States. The challenges that we face today in the Mekong River are transboundary which require a multi-faceted approaches and solutions to sustainable water resources management for the Mekong River Basin,” said Ms. Busadee Santipitaks, Chief Executive Officer of the MRC Secretariat. She emphasised that, “This partnership reflects a broader and shared understanding that the future of the Mekong is not shaped by riparian countries alone. Singapore’s experience and technical strengths will immensely bring fresh perspectives that can help us tackle shared challenges and build more resilient water systems in the future.”

About the Mekong River Commission
The MRC is an intergovernmental organisation established in 1995 to boost regional dialogue and cooperation in the Lower Mekong River Basin. Based on the Mekong Agreement among Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam, the MRC serves as both a regional platform for water diplomacy and a knowledge hub – to manage water resources and support sustainable development of the region.

Note to Editors

In February 2025, the MRC Secretariat signed a Letter of Intent with Singapore’s then-Office for Space Technology and Industry (redesignated as the National Space Agency of Singapore) to cooperate through the Earth Observation Initiative. The cooperation is to co-develop solutions for flood monitoring.

Singapore’s collaboration with MRC members is not starting from a clean slate. It has trained more than 57,000 officials from Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam under the Singapore Cooperation Programme. Singapore also has ongoing collaborations with various MRC member countries on the sustainability agenda. It is importing hydropower from Laos through the Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore Power Integration Project, which is a pathfinder to the ASEAN Power Grid. Singapore also has carbon credit cooperation under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement with all four MRC members, having signed Implementation Agreements (IAs) with Thailand and Vietnam, and MoUs with Cambodia and Laos. The recent opening of the project application process under the Thailand-Singapore IA marks a concrete step towards translating these agreements into tangible impact.

The full remarks by Ambassador Ong and CEO Busadee, as well as a background on Singapore’s Partnership with the Mekong River Commission by the Singapore Embassy in Vientiane, are attached.

Downloaded Documents:

Photographs from the MoU signing ceremony can be downloaded in this link.

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For more information, please contact:

Ms. MAO Chandaly
Communications Officer for Press
Mekong River Commission Secretariat
Email: chandaly@mrcmekong.org

Khambay Saysongkham (Mr.)
Singapore Embassy in Vientiane
Email: khambay_saysongkham@mfa.sg