(VOVworld) – A workshop took place in Hanoi on Friday/ November 4 on the effective use of Mekong River water resources and suggestions for Vietnam’s policies.

Local people are pumping water from Mekong River for agricultural irrigation. (Photo: VNA)

Jake Brunner from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said that multinational collaboration in the Mekong River basin was crucial to bring mutual benefits and use water resources efficiently. He emphasized that attention should be paid to the development of hydropower.

Nguyen Nhan Quang, an expert in the river’s water management, said that Vietnam needs to collect and update more information about water transfer projects in the Mekong River to transfer water from the Mekong River lower section effectively.

He called on the Mekong River Commission to gather information and request member countries to obey regulations under the Mekong Agreement.

In addition, Vietnam needs to consolidate the current Mekong cooperation institutions and work closely with other organizations including the Lower Mekong Initiative.