In order to strengthen coordination in the management of transboundary water resources and to proactively respond to increasingly complex natural disasters, Vietnam and Laos have agreed to promote the establishment of a long-term cooperation mechanism across their shared river basins.
On December 22 in Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam Nguyen Hoang Hiep met Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment of Laos Chanthaneth Boualapha to discuss strengthening cooperation in the management of transboundary water resources.
At the meeting, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep said that Vietnam and Laos have approved an integrated water resources master plan for the Ma River basin. However, existing plans remain largely based on each country’s individual priorities and lack a unified development strategy for the entire basin that has undermined the effectiveness of the use, protection, and sustainable management of shared water resources.
On that basis, Vietnam proposed that the two countries develop a shared vision and a long-term coordination mechanism, including consideration of establishing an inter-ministerial commission for cooperative management of the Ca River–Ma River basin.
According to the proposal by Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, cooperation would focus on several key areas, such as information sharing; water resources monitoring and management; oversight of water-use infrastructure such as hydropower and irrigation facilities; and water quality management, particularly about mining activities that pose significant risks to shared water resources.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep said that natural disasters in the region became increasingly complex in 2025, with rainfall and flooding exceeding historical records as a result of the combined impacts of climate change, altered flows from reservoirs, riverbed narrowing, and development that has not followed basin-wide planning.
The Lao side expressed its desire to learn from Vietnam’s experience in coordinating water resources management, particularly in early warning systems, water quality management, and monitoring the impacts of hydropower projects.
The two sides agreed to task their respective water resources management authorities with developing a cooperation framework to be submitted by June 2026.
