Summary of publication
Australia has been supporting Mekong countries to manage their water resources since the 1990s. Australia's Mekong Region Water Resources Program–Sector Investment Plan 2014–2018 is a five-year program that aims to strengthen water governance across the region. This is important because effective water resource management is critical to water, food, energy and environmental security. It is also central to sustainable economic development and local livelihoods. This Sector Investment Plan is aligned to Australia's South-East Asia Regional Aid Investment Plan under the economic growth pillar.
Australia's interventions will focus on five outcomes in the area of regional water governance:
- Effectively managed: Strengthen the institutional frameworks and capacity of regional, national and local actors to manage their water and related resources more effectively.
- Accountable: Raise the accountability of government and the private sector to normalise better standards for water investments and more transparent decision making.
- Informed: Improve the availability and influence of research to improve water resources management and water investment decision making.
- Inclusive: Support civil society and local community input into water decisions and management at all levels.
- Policy dialogue: Support for policy dialogue that fosters trust and open discussion between Mekong governments and other actors on transboundary water issues.
Full publication
Australia's Mekong Water Resources program Sector Investment Plan [PDF 13.1 MB]