SUMERNET signs agreement with Sida for Mekong research cooperation

As part of its mission to enhance research and policy engagement for sustainable development in the Mekong Region, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) signed an agreement with SEI on 19th November 2018 to support SUMERNET's next five-year phase of work focusing on "water insecurity" issues in the Mekong Region.

The agreement was formalised between Ms Åsa Hedén, Head of Development Cooperation – Regional Asia and the Pacific, Sida and Prof. Dr. Måns Nilsson, Executive Director of Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) on behalf of SEI's role as SUMERNET Secretariat.

At the end of its third phase in April 2018, SUMERNET's Steering Committee (SC) decided to embark on a new phase of work over the next ten years, with a strategic focus on "reducing water insecurities for all, in particular for poor, marginalized and socially vulnerable groups, in the Mekong Region", referred to as "SUMERNET 4 All".

During the next five years, SUMERNET 4 All will focus primarily on the six countries in the Mekong Region: Cambodia, China (specifically Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The new phase will provide further opportunity for collaboration with partners in Myanmar given the opening up of the country in the last few years.

SUMERNET 4 All, with the focus on reducing water insecurity for all, will continue its efforts in conducting regionally-relevant research, capacity building in research and communications together with policy engagement, social equality, based on current strong partnerships, and  fundraising for this work, while seeking to expand its membership to include a diverse mix of institutions concerned with transboundary natural resources management.