Mekong River Commission Secretariat

Opening Remarks

H.E. Mme. Khempheng Pholsena, Minister to the Prime Minister's Office, Head of Water Resources and Environment Administration (WREA), Member of the MRC Council for the Lao PDR on behalf of MRC Member Countries

The Head of Delegation from China
The representative from Myanmar
Mr. Jeremy Bird, Chief Executive Officer, MRCS

“Warming up”

The session encourages participants to voice their concerns on development challenges in the Mekong River Basin and their comments and expectations from the MRC BDP process and the Forum itself

Facilitator: Mr. Suon Seng, Executive Director
(CENTDOR: Centre for Development Oriented Research in Agriculture and Livelihood Systems, Cambodia

“What does the future hold?”

Reflections through the Basin Development Planning process to date
Objectives of the 3rd Regional Stakeholder Forum

Mrs. Pham Thanh Hang, MRC BDP Coordinator

Basin-wide development scenarios: recap of scope and assessment approach and overview of the findings

Dr. Thanapon Piman, MRC BDP programme

Critical review: How certain are the results of Hydrological Assessment?

Dr. Anthony Green, Modelling Advisor, MRC IKMP

'Ensuring ecosystem integrity and maintaining ecosystem services, a review of BDP environmental assessment

Mr. Marc Goichot, Sustainable Infrastructure Senior Advisor, WWF Greater Mekong Programme

PLENARY DISCUSSION: Scenario assessment findings –what do the results tell us?

Facilitator: Dr. Robert Mather
The presenters and MRC staff will answer to questions from the audience and/or discuss comments

Strengthen Exchanges with Mekong River Countries and Promote Joint Sustainable Development

Senior representative from the government of the People’s Republic of China

Introduction to Parallel sessions in the afternoon

Mr. Suparerk Janprasart, Sociologist/Socio-economist, MRC BDP programme

14:00-14:10

14:10-14:35
(5-10’ Q&A)

14:35-15:00
(5-10’ Q&A)

15:00-15:25
(5-10’ Q&A)

Parallel1.1: Expansion of irrigation in LMB – not only invest more but invest better and other options for sustainable agriculture development?

Session introduction
Facilitator: Dr. Chu Thai Hoanh, Senior officer, IWMI Southeast Asia

Irrigation expansion or other opportunities for sustainable agriculture development - lessons learned from MRB

Dr. Andrew Noble with support of Dr. Chu Thai Hoanh, IWMI-SE Asia

More water to the NE – what communities want to see its use and management?

Dr. Jongdee To-im, Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies, Mahidol University and Mr. Somkhit Singsong, Huai Sam Mo Basin, Thailand

Key factor affecting the expanding irrigation in Cambodia

Mr. Dararath Yem Environment and Water Resources Management Advisor, Cambodia

Parallel 1.2: Opportunities and risks of mainstream hydropower dams – How would mitigation measures and sharing of benefits and costs work to support decisions on basin development options? And the role of Procedures for Notification Prior Consultation and Agreement (PNPCA)

Session introduction
Facilitator: Dr. MEI Kariyan, CNMC National Advisor

Opportunities and risks of proposed hydropower schemes on the LMB mainstream: Consideration of avoidance, mitigation and enhancement measures
and links to the MRC PNPCA

Mr. Larry Haas, Project Advisor, MRC Initiative for Sustainable Hydropower

The BDP fisheries assessment and the future for LMB fisheries

Mr. Kent Hortle, Chief Technical Advisor, MRC Fisheries Programme

The role and implementation of the MRC PNPCA

Ms. Birgit Vogel, Chief Technical Advisor, MRC Mekong IWRM Project

Parallel 1.3: Development and management options for the Mekong Delta in the context of upstream developments and sea level rise

Session introduction
Facilitator: Mr. Nicolaas Backer, Chief Technical Advisor, FMMP -MRCS

Combined impacts of upstream developments and sea level rise on Viet Nam Delta – modeling of extreme cases

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hien, Deputy Director, Southern Institute for Water Resources Planning(SIWRP), Viet Nam

Cambodia Delta development plans and areas for regional cooperation

Mr. Long Saravuth, Deputy Director General of Technical, MOWRAM, Cambodia

Knowledge management for proactive collaboration on climate change

Dr. Paul McShane, Chief Research officer of Monash Sustainability Institute, Australia

Summary of key messages

Facilitator, Dr. Chu Thai Hoanh

Summary of key messages

Facilitator, Dr. MEI Kariyan,

Summary of key messages

Facilitator , Mr. Nicolas Backer

• Key messages from the parallel sessions (Facilitators for the sessions)
• Further discussion on the results of basin-wide development scenario assessment
• Summary of Session 1, Dr. Robert Mather

“Development space” for water resources development in LMB and the complete draft of the Basin Development Strategy for LMB

Dr. MEI Kariyan, on behalf of the Advisory Group for the Basin Development Strategy

Critical review of the draft Strategy

Professor Philip Hirsch, Professor and Director of Australian Mekong Resource Center, Sydney University, Australia

PLENARY AND PANEL DISCUSSION: Perspectives on the draft Strategy and how it can be finalized, approved and implemented

Facilitator: Dr. Andrew Noble

The facilitator will invite representatives from groups and all participants to express their views on the draft Strategy.

The Panel, comprising of 4 Lower Mekong Countries, CSO, and Development Partner representatives, will be invited to respond to comments as well as share their views

Summary of Session 2: Dr. Andrew Noble

Outcomes of the Symposium on RBOs in the Mekong Basin, 25-26 March 2009, Muang Thong Thani, Thailand

Ms. Poonsup Srichu, Network Coordinator for Rehabilitation and Development of Songkhla Lake Basin, Thailand

River Basin Management in Cambodia – lessons learned and demands through case studies of Tonle Sap Basin Authority

Mr. Meng Mony Rak, Director of Natural Resources of Tonle Sap River Basin Authority

RBOs for effective river basin management in Viet Nam – the case study of Srepok River

Mr. Pham Tan Ha, Water Resource Specialist, Office of Sreprok River Basin Organization, Viet Nam

Integrated Watershed Management in Lao PDR: the case of Nam Ngum River Basin

Mr. Chanthaneth Boulapha, Deputy DG: DWR/Water Resources and Environment Agencies (WREA), Lao PDR

and

Interagency Approach to River Basin Organization Formation: Exploratory Model of the Nam Ngum River Basin Development Sector Project, Lao PDR.

Dr. Thetheva Saphangthong Coordinator of the Integrated Watershed Management Unit of NNRBDSP- Dept of Planning, MAF and Dr. Paulo Pasicolan, Watershed Management Expert

Discussion: Why RBOs? Scrutinizing the RBO concept: strengths and weaknesses and learning from the founr Lower Mekong Countries

Dr. Apichart Anukulampai, the pioneer supporter of IWRM in Thailand

PLENARY DISCUSSION

Future of River Basin Management and RBOs in Mekong River Basin
Contribution to the implementation of the Basin Development Strategy
What MRC can help?

Summary of the Forum and next steps

Mrs. Pham Thanh Hang, MRC BDP Coordinator

Closing Remarks

HE. Pich Dun, Secretary General, Cambodia national Mekong Committee, Acting Member of MRC Joint Committee for Cambodia, Chair of the MRC Joint Committee for 2010-2011

Mr. Jeremy Bird, CEO, MRCS