On 13 October 2026, the two-day “Multi-sides technical exchange on the flood forecasting platform” opened in Vientiane, Lao PDR. Organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Lao PDR, the event formed part of the project “Operational real-time flood forecasting of Laos and the mid-reach of Mekong River”, supported by the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund and implemented by the Ministry. More than 20 representatives from relevant agencies and technical institutions across Lancang-Mekong countries exchanged experience in flood forecasting management, modelling techniques and platform applications. They also shared project progress, promoting regional exchanges and technical cooperation in flood management and disaster risk reduction.

Dr Hongchang Hu of the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR), the project’s Chinese partner, presented the development and application of the real-time flood forecasting platform for Lao PDR on behalf of the project team. Based on the SkyShare system, the platform supports fully coupled hydrology, 1D - 2D hydrodynamics, with real-time simulation and forecasting. It has produced streamflow forecasts for 17 stations in the region, comprising eight stations in Lao PDR and nine associated upstream and downstream stations along the Mekong River. The 48-hour streamflow forecasts at typical stations achieved test Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) values of 0.93 or higher, indicating strong forecasting performance at these stations.

Representatives from participating countries shared their experience in flood management and conducted a field visit to observe hydrological conditions along the Mekong River. These activities facilitated exchanges on progress in flood forecasting under Lancang-Mekong water resources cooperation and enhanced participants’ understanding of forecasting technologies and their operational applications.

Progress under the project reflects deepening practical cooperation among Lancang-Mekong countries in the operational application of flood management technologies. It provides a solid foundation for joint efforts to strengthen flood management and disaster risk reduction across the basin.

Figure 1. The project team presents progresses.