Four S-E Asian nations sign pact to tame the Mekong

Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam agree to jointly prevent the deaths and devastation caused by the river annually

By Edward Tang
THAILAND CORRESPONDENT

BANGKOK - The bid to tame the Mekong, the source of floods responsible for deaths and economic losses annually, has been given a boost by four regional countries which have agreed to manage the river jointly.

Ministers from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam have inked an agreement to deal with the flood problem.

More than 800 people died and over US$400 million (S$727 million) of property was damaged in these countries last year.

The Flood Management and Mitigation (FMM) agreement is significant as it is the first time the four nations have agreed on a regional approach to the problem.

The four are members of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), an inter-governmental organisation concerned with the development of river resources, which met in Bangkok last week.

Senior MRC official Lieven Geerinck told The Straits Times: 'Floods do not take territorial boundaries into consideration. Regional is the key word.'

Under the agreement, members will coordinate land-use policies, share water-management information and resources, and forge closer cooperation in cross-border flood-rescue operations.

A regional flood forecast centre equipped with early-warning systems and emergency measures to help victims recover from their trauma is also planned.

An estimated US$30 million is required to implement the programmes with initial contributions expected from Japan, the World Bank and European countries.

Mr Geerinck said the MRC would be given a greater role to set standards, conduct training, and act as arbiter between disputing members.

But to what extent the MRC would be allowed to use its mandate remains to be seen as flooding is as much a political problem as it is an environmental hazard.

Cambodia, for instance, has blamed its eastern neighbour, Vietnam, for building wooden dykes on the river, which allegedly causes flooding in its territory.

But Vietnam claimed the structures were important safe havens for its people when the Mekong swells.

Deforestation in Thailand has allegedly resulted in floods not only in its own territory but also in neighbouring Laos and Cambodia.