2025

Jakarta, January 30, 2025 – The Center for Hydrology and Water Environment, Ministry of Public Works Indonesia, hosted an international webinar titled “Water Can’t Wait: Accelerating the Adoption of Innovations in the Water, Energy, and Food Security Nexus.” The hybrid event drew around 900 participants, both online and in person, including leading experts and policymakers.

Water, vital for sustaining life, is becoming increasingly scarce as global demand has surged tenfold over the past century. In Southeast Asia, ASEAN countries share 19 transboundary water resources, including surface and groundwater, most of which are managed bilaterally. The Mekong River Commission (MRC), formed by Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, aims to promote sustainable development, management, and conservation of the Mekong Basin. Despite growing cooperation, challenges remain, such as the lack of legal frameworks for managing shared aquifers and the absence of cooperation mechanisms beyond the Mekong region. Water diplomacy provides a vital approach, offering strategies to address disputes and foster joint water governance through political processes that extend beyond traditional water agreements.