KUNMING — Representatives from six Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) countries passed an initiative on Nov 2 to enhance cooperation on water resources during a forum held in Kunming, capital of Southwest China’s Yunnan province.

The Kunming Initiative came at the conclusion of the first Mekong-Lancang Water Resources Cooperation Forum, which aims to facilitate dialogue on water policy, technology exchanges and experience sharing among LMC countries.

The two-day forum discussed topics including sustainable development, utilization and protection of water resources, flood and drought management and knowledge sharing on trans-boundary river management.

The initiative called for joint actions to tackle challenges facing the six countries, including the increasing demands for water, flood and drought, degradation of aquatic eco-system, water pollution and climate change.

It said LMC countries will endeavor to deepen cooperation through policy dialogues, technical exchanges, experience sharing, joint research and capacity building to address water-related challenges.

The initiative also called for more investment from member countries on the construction of water infrastructure and proposing capacity cooperation to make the countries more capable of coping with future water challenges and climate change risks.

“Mekong countries and China are natural partners,” said Tian Xuebin, vice-minister of China’s Ministry of Water Resources, calling for all-around cooperation on water resources toward sustainable development and common prosperity of the Lancang-Mekong River Basin.

The initiative will strengthen cooperation and increase capacity for trans-boundary water resources management, contributing to all countries, especially in the area of flood and drought mitigation and management under climate change phenomena, according to Wijarn Simachaya, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand.

The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation is a sub-regional cooperation mechanism jointly established by Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Originating from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China, the river is called the Lancang River in China and the Mekong River when it flows through the other five countries before emptying into the sea.

Priority areas under the mechanism include connectivity, production capacity, cross-border economic cooperation, water resources, agriculture and poverty reduction.