By Lee Jon-young

K-water held a meeting with ambassadors from five countries in the Mekong River basin, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, at the Han River Basin Headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province on Aug. 1.

At the meeting, K-water shared the current status of projects being pursued in the Mekong River basin, including the expansion of water facilities in Batambang Province, Cambodia, and the establishment of a climate-adaptive flood example and warning system for the Sebanghiyang River basin in Sawanaket, Laos.

In addition, they discussed ways to cooperate through the "Hanmekong Water Management Center," operated by K-water, and discover new projects to solve water problems by country.

Based on the accumulated water management technology and experience, K-water expressed its willingness to actively cooperate to solve water management issues in the Mekong River basin, and proposed to promote joint pilot projects such as reducing greenhouse gases and securing performance.

Ambassadors from each country who participated in the meeting visited the Han River Basin Water Management Situation Room to examine the current status of digital water management incorporating innovative technologies and showed positive responses.

The ambassadors requested Korea and K-water to do active cooperation in solving water problems in the Mekong River basin, including water disasters caused by climate change, shared river problems, and sustainable water management.

“The Mekong River basin, which continues to cooperate with Korea, has unlimited potential with high economic growth and abundant water resources,” Yun Seog-dae, CEO of K-water, said. "We will do our best to support the shared growth and prosperity of Korea and the Mekong River basin countries."

Meanwhile, K-water and the Ministry of Environment plan to hold the "2nd Korea-Mekong International Water Forum (MKWF)" in Incheon from Sept. 7 to 8.

This forum is a development cooperation platform that includes the Mekong River basin government and development partners, and is a venue for international cooperation to derive water-related agendas and discuss solutions in the Mekong River basin.