Previously afflicted by water scarcity and diseases, approximately 2,000 residents in Hatkeep village, Luang Prabang province of Laos, now have access to safe drinking water, thanks to a China-initiated water pilot project implemented in 2021.

A survey showed that over 92% of local villagers recognized the critical necessity of the project. The village head highlighted the vital role of cooperation on water resources and expressed gratitude for the support from China.

The water project in Hatkeep village is an example of the Lancang-Mekong Sweet Spring Project, which is part of the water resources cooperation efforts in the Lancang-Mekong region.

Six Lancang-Mekong countries – China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam – launched the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) mechanism in March 2016. As one of the priority areas of the LMC mechanism, water resources cooperation in the region has yielded fruitful results, said Zhou Zhiwei, secretary-general of Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center.

Zhou said a water resources cooperation framework has been established and is continuously improved. So far, a ministerial meeting, three forums, four joint working group meetings and 16 joint working group special meetings have been held, guiding the orderly progress of water resources cooperation in the region.

Zhou also said that many practical projects have been carried out in the region under the LMC mechanism. With the financial support from the Chinese government, over 50 demonstration projects have been implemented in five Mekong countries since 2017. The purposes of the projects range from rural water supply to hydrological monitoring, which has delivered tangible benefits to local residents.

For example, the first phase of the Sweet Spring Project, taking place from 2020 to 2022 in Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, aimed to address difficulties in accessing water sources, rainwater harvesting and purification, untreated water, and other such challenges.

As of 2022, eight to nine centralized water supply demonstration facilities had been built, along with 54 decentralized water supply demonstration facilities. The campaign has ensured safe drinking water for more than 10,000 residents, according to an evaluation report.   

To better coordinate water resources cooperation efforts in the region, the six LMC countries jointly formulated a new five-year action plan (2023-2027) in late 2023 to further promote sustainable utilization, management, and conservation of water resources.

Zhou said that the new plan will guide LMC countries to meet the challenges posed by global climate change, and coordinate their efforts in addressing water disasters, water resources management, and aquatic ecosystem preservation in a comprehensive manner.

He also said LMC countries will carry out more pragmatic cooperation in the fields such as water resources development and drinking water safety, in order to further improve the well-being of local people.

"The Lancang-Mekong River will be built into a river of friendship, collaboration, and prosperity, with further cooperation in water resources," Zhou said.