New Regional Initiative Places Mekong Communities at the Centre of Water and ClimateDecisions
VIENTIANE, December 11, 2025: Oxfam and its partners gathered today at the Crowne Plaza
Hotel in Vientiane to launch the Mekong Inclusion Project Phase 3 Water Governance and
Climate Resilience (IP3). The five-year commitment aims to secure the livelihoods of riverine
communities in the region from the rising tide of climate change.
The Mekong region is facing increasingly unpredictable weather patterns. The IP3 project
(2025–2029) aims to bridge the gap between high-level policy and the varying challenges faced
by communities living along the river.
The project, which is funded by the Australian Government through the Mekong Australia
Partnership (MAP) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), will also
integrate water governance with climate resilience to ensure that decisions made at the top
trickle down to the people most affected on the ground, to guarantee maximum impact.
The project has been implemented in various phases, with previous iterations of the programme
focused on inclusive governance. However, given the current environment, IP3 recognises that
water security can no longer be separated from climate resilience.
Socheata Sim, Oxfam’s Mekong IP3 Project Manager said: “You can’t talk about the Mekong
River without talking about the people who rely on it for their food, their income and their culture.
This new phase is about shifting power. It is about ensuring that women, Indigenous People,
People with Disability, and marginalised groups and local communities aren’t just adapting to
climate disasters and change in rivers flow but are actively sitting at the table where
decisions about their rivers are made.”
From Inception to Action
Following a six-month design phase to form the team and build the strategy, today’s workshop
in Vientiane marks the program’s implementation. About 35 key stakeholders, including
government representatives, civil society leaders and development partners from Cambodia,
Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar, came together to discuss the program’s overarching
vision.
This discussion was centred around three main outcomes that the project will focus on in the
next five years:
● Empowering Leadership: Empowering women and marginalised groups to influence
water and climate policy.
● Inclusive Policy: Working alongside regional governments to ensure planning
processes in water resources governance and climate changes are in alignment with the
diversity of those who use and depend on the river for their daily livelihoods.
● Community Action: Raising awareness among riverine communities about their own
risks and how to implement adaptation plans to enhance their resiliency.
Mr. James Morschel, First Secretary of Australian Embassy in Vientiane, Representative from
DFAT, said “Australia is proud to support the IP3 through the Mekong Australia Partnership
Program. We believe that durable solutions for the Mekong must be inclusive. By
strengthening water governance, we’re investing in the long-term stability and well-being of
the region.”
“Switzerland strongly believes that equitable water governance is only possible when the
people most affected by water decisions are empowered to participate meaningfully in shaping
them. Through IWGP2, we aim to strengthen exactly this: citizen participation, gender
equality, and evidence-based dialogue that bridges communities, civil society, governments,
and the private sector.”, said Mr. Jean Gabriel, Regional Director of SDC,
A Government representative from Laos welcomed the launch, while acknowledging that
transboundary challenges require strong regional cooperation, as well as a shared
understanding of water security.
