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Experts are calling for better coordination to reduce the Mekong River Basin's vulnerability to extreme conditions before a flood and land management workshop in the Laotian city of Luang Prabang from 23-25 February.
"Given the importance of the Mekong Delta to the livelihoods of 60 million people, we need better coordination among the different stakeholders so that we can forecast and respond to the flood cycles more effectively," said Aslam Perwaiz, programme manager with one of the conference organizers, the Bangkok-based Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre.
Farmers along the 5,000km-long Mekong River, which spans Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, produce enough rice to feed 300 million people annually. Yet, as noted by the Mekong River Commission, any changes in seasonal rains can lead to extreme flooding or drought, destroying rice cultivation.
With much of the region at high risk of extreme weather, according to the Munich-based Global Climate Risk Index, the workshop, bringing together nearly 200 government officials, NGO and community representatives, hopes to improve the capacity of farmers and fishermen to cope.
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