Why a forum on water, food and energy in the Mekong region?

Water resources in the Mekong region are being rapidly and systematically developed. This development is vital to the economies and growth of the countries in the region, but it also brings significant changes to the use, management, and productivity of water.

The quality of future water resources development and management will have major long- and short-term impacts on the lives of the approximately 300 million people who live in the Mekong region. They draw on the rivers and lakes for a multitude of purposes, including farming, fishing, household purposes, and industrial use.

There is a pressing need in the region for an open dialogue on how to address sustainability issues within the context of water, food and energy, to ensure that both current and future developments benefit all water uses and users. The Mekong Forum on Water, Food, and Energy 2011, is the first in a series of annual forums, which brings together representatives from government, industry, financiers, civil society, and research institutions for this constructive dialogue.

The Forum is convened by the Challenge Program on Water and Food. Co-hosts are the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology (MOWRAM) and the Supreme National Economic Council (SNEC) of the Royal Government of Cambodia, the Mekong Program on Water, Food and Resilience (M-POWER) and Oxfam. The forum is funded by the Australian Government, through AusAID.

Learn more at the CPWF Mekong Site