Vietnam’s participation has been in such areas as water resource management, environmental protection, irrigation, hydro electricity, agro-forestry, fisheries and climate change, said the VNMC President and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen said at the committee’s meeting in Ho Chi Minh City on April 28.

Despite these advantages and positive changes, cooperation between MRC countries still face serious challenges, such as the over-use of water resources (due to the development of hydro-power plants), rising sea-levels, and severe floods and droughts due to climate change, Minister Nguyen said, adding that this will also challenge Vietnam when taking over the MRC Presidency in the 2010-2011 term.

He suggested increased information sharing on MRC cooperative programmes and strengthened cooperation between the ministries and branches of MRC member countries in joint activities.

Representatives of some Cuu Long river delta provinces proposed that VNMC formulate a general plan for sustainable protection of the Mekong river in the whole region.

VNMC is participating in preparing the MRC’s strategic plan for the 2011-2015 period, implementing the commission’s cooperative programmes, consolidating its legal system as well as managing and protecting the use of water resources.