The Lancang-Mekong River is the mother river of the people in the basin, nurturing the long-standing historical civilization of the region, providing abundant water resources for more than 70 million people, serving as an important foundation for the development of various economic and social fields such as agriculture, fisheries, shipping, and energy in the basin countries, and representing the precious resource and common wealth of all countries. 

Water resources are one of the priority areas of Lancang-Mekong cooperation. Over the past decade, the water resources departments of the six countries have earnestly implemented the important consensus of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting, promoting fruitful results in water resources cooperation.

First, forging cooperation consensus. A cooperation framework has been established for Lancang-Mekong water resources cooperation, consisting of policy dialogue through ministerial meetings, implementation by joint working groups, communication via the Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Forum, and comprehensive support from the Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center. Nearly 30 high-level meetings have been convened, producing 45 outcome documents such as the Initiative on Deepening Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation, the Joint Statement of the Ministerial Meeting of Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation, and the Five-Year Plan of Action on Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (2023-2027), leading the six countries to join hands in addressing climate change challenges and elevating the level of basin governance.

Second, strengthening information sharing. On the basis of providing hydrological data of the Lancang River during the flood season to the Mekong River Commission free of charge for more than 20 consecutive years, China has been sharing year-round hydrological information of the Lancang River with the Mekong countries and the Mekong River Commission since November 2020. Currently, nearly 100,000 pieces of hydrological data have been shared. In September 2025, the six basin countries reached a consensus on a memorandum of understanding regarding the mutual provision of upstream and downstream hydrological information, agreeing to share data from 24 hydrological stations.

Third, jointly building a safe and secure Lancang-Mekong river basin. In 2016, the El Niño phenomenon caused a once-in-a-century severe drought in the basin. The Chinese side overcame difficulties, dispatched the upstream cascade reservoir group to implement emergency water replenishment, and discharged a total water volume of 12.65 billion cubic meters, helping the Mekong countries effectively and forcefully respond to the drought, mitigating saltwater intrusion in the estuary delta, and turning a year of severe drought into one without major disasters. In 2024, Typhoon Yagi caused floods in parts of Laos and Thailand. The Chinese side continuously reduced the outflow discharge of the cascade reservoirs, effectively alleviating flood control pressure in downstream areas. In 2025, the Chinese side timely shared the paths of typhoons such as Kajiki and Nongfa and the water and rainfall forecasting results with downstream countries five times, providing decision-making support for coordinated disaster prevention and mitigation in the basin. 

Fourth, advancing practical cooperation. With funding and technical support provided by the Chinese government, 65 “small yet smart” practical cooperation projects have been successively implemented in the Mekong countries, covering fields such as flood and drought disaster management under climate change, information sharing, rural water supply safety, dam safety management, comprehensive management of small watersheds, water-saving irrigation, and technical standards for water conservancy and hydropower. The “Lancang-Mekong Sweet Spring Action” built 110 rural water supply projects in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, providing “low-cost, high-quality” water supply services to local people, benefiting over 13,000 individuals, and offering a technical demonstration for solving drinking water safety issues on a larger scale.

Fifth, maintaining close personnel exchanges. Experts and scholars from the six countries have conducted more than ten joint research initiatives focusing on issues such as addressing climate change, conducting in-depth field studies in the source of the Lancang River, the Tonle Sap Lake, and the Mekong Delta to investigate changes in the river’s hydrological regime and ecological environment evolution, and to study sound policies for river protection and governance. Through public exchange activities such as “Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Week” and “Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Tour,” exchanges and mutual learning among officials, scholars, and youth of the six countries have been strengthened, and the concept of “drinking from the same river, sharing a closely linked destiny” has become more deeply rooted in people’s hearts.

The per capita water resources in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin are approximately 6,500 cubic meters, with a water resource development and utilization rate of 13%. The natural endowment and development potential of water resources in the basin are sufficient to support the improvement of riparian residents’ livelihoods and the sustainable development of the social economy. The six Lancang-Mekong countries are good neighbors, good friends, good brothers, and good partners. As long as we adhere to the principle of “extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits,” fully respect the legitimate rights and interests of all countries to rationally develop and utilize water resources, accommodate each other’s concerns, and discuss matters when they arise, we can address the difficulties and challenges faced in basin protection and governance, and build the Lancang-Mekong River into a river of happiness that benefits the people of the basin.

Facing the future, we will join hands to respond to water challenges in the modernization process, properly address the risks brought by climate change, and take increased attention to water conservation, human-water harmony, system-based governance, and the application of smart technologies as the development direction. We will strengthen the alignment of water governance policies among the six basin countries, strive to elevate the governance level of the entire basin, assist in building a more resilient Lancang-Mekong Economic Development Belt, and build a closer Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future.

（Translated by Huang Lu and Li Ning; reviewed by Gao Lihong）