Japan to assist tackle Mekong flood and droughts
The Government of Japan Friday granted JPY 412 million or approximately US$3.9 million to the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to advance its flood and drought monitoring and forecasting functions.
The funding will be spread over four years from 2020–2023. It is to transform the MRC’s Regional Flood and Drought Management Centre (RFDMC) in Phnom Penh into a centre of excellence in providing faster and more accurate flood and drought forecasting and early warning to the lower Mekong countries – Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam.
Some of the key activities this funding will support are improved public information on flood and drought with the use of advanced technologies, so that local communities and governments are informed in a timely fashion and that damages can be reduced in times of danger.
Khan Sophirom / AKP
