December 4–5, 2025, Seoul, Republic of Korea — One of the Mekong Institute’s (MI) largest medium-term collaborations is transitioning successful pilot projects into established practices and policies, as stakeholders examine the concrete results of applying a nexus approach to the integrated management of water, energy, and food systems in the Mekong region. At a two-day regional forum, MI, together with the Republic of Korea’s (RoK) Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI), the UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), and the Mekong River Commission (MRC), marked five years of science, technology, and innovation cooperation under the People’s Livelihoods Innovation through Nexus in the Mekong Region (P-LINK) and outlined a forward-looking agenda to scale community-level pilots into national and regional solutions.
In a speech during the forum, MI Executive Director Mr. Suriyan Vichitlekarn highlighted how the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus approach has helped address WEF security challenges, as demonstrated by successful P-LINK initiatives implemented in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam since the project began in 2021. Building on these results, Mr. Suriyan noted that the nexus approach is shaping MI’s future strategies for program and project implementation.
“MI identifies the nexus approach as one of its four main programmatic areas for 2026–2030. We will organize our annual flagship event, Mekong Forum 2026, with a focus on nexus and partnership for a robust Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS),” said Mr. Suriyan.
P-LINK’s regional stakeholder forum brought together partners from the Global South and North and validated the effectiveness of applying the RoK’s technological and policy solutions to interconnected WEF challenges in the Lower Mekong Basin. It reinforced the core idea that successful climate action requires linking technical innovation with local-level governance. As such, key country pilot results include:
In Cambodia, clean water treatment facilities in Sdao Commune improved living conditions for over 800 households, with recommendations to transition to 100 percent solar power and expand the distribution network for sustainability.
In Lao PDR, strengthened flood forecasting in Mahaxay District increased early warning lead times to more than 24 hours, alongside a roadmap for a National Water Resources Data Management Center and stable government funding.
In Thailand, the Smart Water Management System pilot in Bung Khla highlighted the importance of matching innovation with local capacity, recommending a national Smart Water Management Standard Guideline and a multi-layer governance platform.
In Viet Nam, the L2E Solution System addressed extreme salinity intrusion in the Mekong Delta, securing water supplies for high-value shrimp farming and mitigating economic losses.
MI proposed systematizing the current partner and stakeholder network into a funded P-LINK Nexus Knowledge Forum to enable continuous expert mentorship. Meanwhile, the MRC proposed a Joint Projects Facility (JPF) under the Mekong Fund to mobilize financing for transboundary initiatives such as regional water and flood adaptation.
Beyond highlighting lessons learned and discussing risk management and the mobilization of large-scale investments, the regional forum featured a high-level panel that explored future strategic directions for the next phase of P-LINK, ensuring that pilot gains are sustained, scaled, and replicated.
About P-LINK
P-LINK is a cooperation project under the Republic of Korea (RoK)–United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) Facility. It brings together RoK’s Ministry of Science and ICT, UNOSSC, MRC, MI, and other partners to apply integrated, multi-sectoral technology solutions across water, energy, and food systems—strengthening access, resilience, and livelihoods for vulnerable communities across the Lower Mekong Basin.
