Interventions and pathways to reducing water insecurities in the Mekong region

This report synthesizes 30 research projects from the SUMERNET 4 All program (2018–2024) to address water insecurities in the Mekong region. It finds that water insecurity is driven by a combination of climate change, unsustainable development, and governance failures that marginalize women, ethnic minorities, and rural populations. Key interventions identified include people-centred infrastructure (e.g., rainwater harvesting, solar pumping), adaptive agricultural practices, and the co-production of knowledge through multistakeholder engagement. The report highlights critical gaps in transboundary groundwater governance and the need for more inclusive, decentralized water management models.

• Water insecurity in the Mekong region is a multi-dimensional challenge driven by environmental pressures, socio-economic factors, and governance failures. It manifests as seasonal scarcity, degraded water quality, and erratic flood regimes, which are exacerbated by climate change and unsustainable development practices.
• Marginalized groups, including ethnic minorities, migrant workers, and those in peri-urban or remote areas, face significant barriers to water access. These populations often lack the required identification for government services or the financial means to invest in deep-well drilling, forcing a reliance on unsafe surface water.
• Gender and ethnic inequalities hinder inclusive water governance. In the Mekong Delta, rural poor women in Cambodia are often excluded from decision-making structures, while in Vietnam, domestic responsibilities limit the ability of Kinh and Khmer women to participate in commune and district-level management.
• Transboundary water governance is characterized by policy gaps and power asymmetries. Transboundary aquifers in the Lower Mekong River basin remain largely unregulated, and consultation processes for hydropower projects, such as the Pak Beng Dam in Lao PDR, are often procedural rather than participatory, leaving local communities unable to influence technical designs.
• The COVID-19 pandemic intensified existing water insecurities. Lockdowns and economic disruptions reduced incomes for smallholders, while hygiene campaigns increased the demand for clean water, pushing vulnerable households in informal settlements and rural areas toward unsafe water sources.
• Effective interventions to reduce water insecurity include a mix of people-centred infrastructure and adaptive practices. Examples include rainwater harvesting systems, solar-powered irrigation in Lao PDR and Cambodia, the construction of micro-habitats for food security, and the use of flood-tolerant rice varieties.
• Technological and knowledge-based tools can enhance adaptation, but require local capacity building. The 'alternative wet and dry technique' (AWD) for rice in Vietnam and satellite-based groundwater tracking are promising, yet their scaling depends on peer learning and institutional backing.
• Co-production of knowledge and multistakeholder engagement are critical for inclusive governance. Participatory flood risk mapping in Thailand and the use of 'serious games' to simulate wetland-climate interactions have helped bridge the gap between community experience and policy decision-making.
• Policy incoherence at the sub-national level often leads to conflicting water use priorities. In Khon Kaen province, industrial groundwater extraction has conflicted with conservation mandates, resulting in the depletion of shallow wells used by poor households.

APA

Lwin, K. S., Saluja, R., Mandal, S., Lebel, L., Lebel, B., & Krittasudthacheewa, C. (2025). Interventions and pathways to reducing water insecurities in the Mekong region. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/interventions-water-insecurities-mekong-sei2025-049.pdf

Chicago

Lwin, Khaing Su, Ridhi Saluja, Sushmita Mandal, Louis Lebel, Boripat Lebel, and Chayanis Krittasudthacheewa. Interventions and pathways to reducing water insecurities in the Mekong region. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2025. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/interventions-water-insecurities-mekong-sei2025-049.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{lwin2025interventions, author = {Lwin, Khaing Su and Saluja, Ridhi and Mandal, Sushmita and Lebel, Louis and Lebel, Boripat and Krittasudthacheewa, Chayanis}, title = {{Interventions and pathways to reducing water insecurities in the Mekong region}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2025}, month = oct, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/interventions-water-insecurities-mekong-sei2025-049.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }