VUSTA Vice President Pham Ngoc Linh leads Vietnamese delegation to the Lancang - Mekong Engineers Forum 2025

The delegation included representatives from the Vietnam Water Resources Association, the Department of Science and International Cooperation, and the Office of VUSTA.

The VUSTA delegation at the Forum

The Lancang - Mekong Engineers Forum was hosted by the Chinese Society of Engineering, in coordination with relevant organizations. Participants included engineering organizations, science and technology associations, experts, scientists, engineers, managers, and business representatives from countries in the Lancang - Mekong River Basin, namely China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations (AFEO), of which VUSTA is a member, was also invited to attend the Forum.

The Forum provided an opportunity for participants to showcase scientific and technological achievements, initiatives, and innovations; share lessons learned and best practices; engage in academic exchange; and promote cooperation in science and engineering in support of the sustainable development of the Lancang - Mekong community.

An overview of the Lancang - Mekong Engineers Forum 2025

The Lancang - Mekong River is one of the world’s largest river systems, supplying water and sediment essential for daily life, agriculture, fisheries, energy production, and transportation. It also serves as a shared cultural space and is home to some of the most diverse ecosystems in Asia. The Mekong River plays a particularly vital role in rice, fisheries, and fruit production for the Mekong Delta in particular and for Vietnam as a whole.

In his opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Ngoc Linh, Vice President of VUSTA, emphasized that the Lancang - Mekong is not merely a river, but a lifeline of economic, cultural, and social development, connecting more than 70 million people from upstream to downstream. Vietnam, he noted, lies in the downstream section of the river, where any changes along its course from upstream to downstream have direct impacts on the livelihoods of tens of millions of people. The stability and prosperity of the Mekong are therefore closely linked to food security, water security, and the resilience and adaptive capacity of the entire region.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Ngoc Linh, Vice President of VUSTA, delivers remarks at the opening session

In recent years, Vietnam has implemented numerous programs, policies, initiatives, and models to promote the digital economy, green economy, circular economy, scientific and technological innovation, energy transition, and sustainable development.

Vietnam has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, as announced at COP26, and is actively implementing national strategies on green growth, renewable energy, and climate change adaptation. The country has strengthened water resource management in association with the protection of ecosystems in the Mekong River Basin; promoted climate-smart agriculture, water-saving irrigation technologies, the use of bio-based materials and organic fertilizers, and sustainable rice–shrimp farming models; and applied GIS technology, IoT sensors, and AI applications to monitor riverbank erosion, saltwater intrusion, flood control, and changes in river flows. Vietnam has also encouraged the use of solar and wind power and enhanced biodiversity protection. Notably, the country has shifted from a mindset of “living with floods” to “proactive adaptation,” and from “volume-driven growth” to “quality- and value-based development,” toward greener and more sustainable development pathways.

At the Forum, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Thai Dai, Head of the Department of Science, Technology and International Cooperation of the Vietnam Water Resources Association, presented a framework for ensuring local water security through proactive, on-site water management. The framework is built on four pillars: protecting upstream water sources, on-site water storage, efficient water use, and protection and pollution control of water sources. This approach is considered well suited to conditions in the Mekong Delta and offers valuable reference for other countries in the Mekong Basin. He also underscored the need to shift from a “water control” mindset to a “water security” approach, highlighting the importance of community-based, nature-harmonized solutions for sustainable water management.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hoang Thai Dai, Head of the Department of Science, Technology and International Cooperation, Vietnam Water Resources Association, presents at the Forum

Against the backdrop of global climate change, the Lancang - Mekong River is facing mounting challenges, including climate change impacts, overexploitation of natural resources, pollution, declining sediment flows, saltwater intrusion, riverbank erosion, biodiversity loss, and growing threats to the livelihoods of tens of millions of people. Located in the downstream region, Vietnam is among the countries most severely affected by these changes. Strengthening closer and long-term cooperation was therefore identified as a key theme of the Forum.

Vice President of VUSTA Pham Ngoc Linh put forward four proposals. First, to enhance data sharing and information transparency on water resources by developing a basin-wide shared database covering river flows, water quality, sediment transport, reservoir operations, and climate-related changes. Second, to strengthen cooperation in science and technology, technology transfer, and the development of green technologies, while promoting research, pilot projects, and technology transfer in agriculture, water resources, energy, waste treatment, and nature conservation, thereby advancing the green and circular economy. Third, to encourage the participation of all stakeholders, including businesses, scientists, policymakers, and local communities, in protecting, enhancing the value of, and ensuring the sustainable development of Lancang–Mekong water resources. Fourth, to support downstream countries in strengthening climate change adaptation through projects, pilot models, capacity-building programs, and the promotion of green livelihoods.

The Vietnamese and AFEO delegations at the Forum

The Lancang - Mekong River is a river of life and a shared asset of the countries in the region. Sustainable development and the application of green engineering are not merely strategic choices but a shared responsibility of all stakeholders, for both present and future generations. Strengthening cooperation and deepening information and experience sharing are essential to achieving a balance between development and water resource protection, toward a healthy, sustainable, and prosperous Mekong River for all.

As part of the Forum program, the Chinese side organized field visits to showcase China’s new, advanced, and green technologies in the construction of airports, metro stations, hydropower facilities, and high-rise buildings.

Delegates visit an airport terminal construction site in Kunming, China