Mekong Institute (MI), through the Mekong CREATES project funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), successfully concluded a five-day Regional Training on Climate Finance for Safe and Resilient Agrifood Systems. The training took place on November 24–28, 2025, at the MI Training Center in Khon Kaen, Thailand.
The training brought together 27 participants from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam, including government officials, financial sector representatives, and agrifood specialists. The training aimed to strengthen regional capacity to mobilize, access, and use climate finance tools and frameworks effectively, supporting national and regional efforts to transform agrifood systems in ways that are both climate-resilient and low-emission.
Opening the training, Suriyan Vichitlekarn, Executive Director of MI, emphasized that climate finance is crucial for turning commitments into real-world solutions.
“Climate finance helps connect regional aspirations with national actions. It enables countries to strengthen resilience and reduce emissions in the agri-food sector,” he said.
Throughout the week, participants joined expert-led sessions on the climate finance architecture, green and blended financial tools, stakeholder engagement, and gender equality and social inclusion (GESI). The training combined practical case studies with interactive learning to help participants apply global concepts to national context.
Nguyen Ngoc Linh Chi from Viet Nam’s Climate Change Working Group highlighted the value of the training’s practical focus: “The deep dive into blended finance and GESI mainstreaming were especially transformative. They helped me understand how climate finance drives both resilience and mitigation, and why it must be central, not optional, to achieving national climate commitments.”
A key highlight was the project design writeshop, where participants worked in groups to apply tools and methodologies to develop draft climate finance concept notes. These ideas served as the foundation for country action plans, outlining priority activities for the next three to six months to strengthen institutional readiness, improve coordination, and promote climate-resilient innovations.
Soth Sothearith from Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), noted, “The most valuable part of the training was developing a real climate finance investment idea and applying what we learned directly in practice. The tools we learned can be applied immediately to climate-related programs in our region.”
Beyond project design, participants explored how climate finance can support livelihood improvement, enterprise growth, and resilient value chains.
Alounxay Naphayvong from Sogreen Laos shared that the training connects directly to his work with forest-based honey enterprises: “The practical financial tools and project design skills were perfect for our business needs. Climate finance is not only about funding. It is about building stronger bridges between farmers and markets, protecting forests, and improving livelihoods.”
Participants also valued the cross-country exchange of experience, noting that learning from different sectors and contexts strengthened their understanding of regional challenges and solutions.
Phyu Phyu Pyae from Proximity Finance Microfinance Co., Ltd. in Myanmar said:
“The experiences that both trainers and participants bring to the table are unique and invaluable. Hearing from different country experiences and perspectives gave us new ideas and helped us think more deeply about what can work in our own context.”
Urvaksh Patel, the Lead Trainer, noted that the diversity of backgrounds enriched the training.
“Participants brought incredibly unique perspectives and across sub-sectors. This diversity adds to the program, the cross-pollination of ideas, and allows them to think more about solutions from a systems approach.”
In closing remarks, Orn-Uma Polpanich, MI’s Director of Agricultural Development and Commercialization, praised the participants’ strong engagement and commitment despite diverse professional backgrounds and the technical complexity of the subject matter. She encouraged them to continue collaboration. She urged participants to utilize the networks formed during the training to advance climate finance initiatives in their respective countries and strengthen regional partnerships.
MI will continue follow-up knowledge-sharing activities into 2026, supporting participants as they implement their action plans and develop climate finance-ready agrifood initiatives in CLMV.
MI’s commitment
MI remains committed to helping CLMV translate training into action. Through Mekong CREATES and MI’s broader regional programs, MI will continue to provide technical assistance, knowledge exchange, policy advocacy, and partnership support to help participants refine investment ideas, strengthen institutional readiness, and unlock climate finance that delivers real benefits for farmers, communities, and ecosystems.
About Mekong CREATES
Mekong CREATES (Climate-Resilient Agrifood Transformation and Enhanced Systems) is a regional initiative implemented by Mekong Institute with support from the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). The project works with governments, the private sector, and communities in the Greater Mekong Subregion to promote safe, inclusive, and climate-resilient agrifood systems. It focuses on strengthening regional cooperation, building institutional and technical capacity, and advancing practical solutions to help countries respond to food-safety-related climate risks while improving livelihoods.
