Japanese officials emphasised reducing deforestation, improving water resource management, disaster prevention and urban environments in as ways to improve the Mekong River.

These issues were discussed at the Senior Officials' Mekong Meeting with Japan yesterday.

Japanese deputy director general of Southeast and Southwest Asian Affairs Department Kimihiro Ishikane said a rapid development plus the global climate change had resulted in a drop of the Mekong's water level, which has had an adverse impact on biodiversity. This had become a serious threat to the people in the region.

He suggested, in addition to building a national environmental strategy, countries should strengthen co-operative ties in order to establish a fair and effective international framework in which all major economies participate in addressing climate change.

The official said that satellites could be used to closely monitor reforestation efforts in coastal or dry areas.

In the long term, the region should prioritise reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while improving biodiversity and their policy-making capacity, he said. Vietnamese director general of the Economic Affairs Department Vu Quang Minh suggested setting up drought monitoring centres in the five countries of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam, with the main office based in Viet Nam's Mekong Delta, to conduct research. This initiative would be in response to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's plan of developing the Mekong Water Resources Management Project.

The Prime Minister had also proposed building vocational training centres in order to utilise Japan's support in improving labour quality in these countries.

According to Ishikane, Japan would contribute an official development assistance loan of 500 billion yen (US$5.4 million) to the Green Mekong plan from 2010-12.

Under the plan, 3 billion yen has already been allocated to four aid projects in Laos and another 2.6 billion yen have been granted for three projects in Cambodia. The aid for Thailand and Viet Nam is being discussed currently.

Mekong is one the world's largest rivers with a basin supporting a population of around 70 million people. An estimated 70 per cent of these people are subsistence farmers. — VNS