Youth engagement in the Lancang-Mekong Region

Youth engagement in the management and governance of water resources is essential for the sustainable development of the Lancang-Mekong Region. This will be the focus of the 2nd Regional Consultation Workshop for the projects on Building Water Sector Youth Leadership Network in the Lancang-Mekong Region and Promoting Climate-Smart Water Technologies and Innovations for Sustainable Water Resources and Rice Production under Climate Change in the Lancang-Mekong Region in Ayutthaya, Thailand, from 13-15 November 2024.

The event will bring together youth leaders, project implementers, academic institutes, practitioners and key stakeholders from across the six Mekong-Lancang countries to discuss the project’s achievements, draft a five-year action plan for youth leadership in the water sector and climate change adaptation, and further enhance capacities in communications, climate-smart technology, multi-stakeholder engagement, and leadership.

As reaffirmed in the Vientiane Declaration of the Third MLC Leaders’ Meeting in 2018, the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) emphasizes the inclusion of youth in water-related initiatives. This workshop seeks to advance this vision by strengthening youth capacity, fostering partnerships, and finalizing key deliverables, including the youth leadership network’s design, action plan and joint statement.

This workshop is part of a long-term initiative to build a regional youth leadership network focused on inclusive governance and management of water resources in the Mekong-Lancang region.

Date and place

13-15 November 2024, the Cavalli Casa Resort, Ayutthaya, Thailand
Media are invited to attend both days of the workshop. 

Key objectives

• Present project achievements, findings, and recommendations for enhancing youth engagement in the Lancang-Mekong Region.
• Discuss and finalize the design and five-year action plan (2025-2029) for the LMC water sector youth leadership network.
• Finalize a joint statement from the youth leadership network for consideration by the Joint Working Group (JWG) on MLC water resources cooperation.
• Strengthen the knowledge and leadership capacity of youth leaders from the MLC countries in areas such as communication, climate-smart technology, and multi-stakeholder engagement.

• Develop a pathway to promoting climate-smart water technologies and innovations at the farm level (small-scale) in the Lancang-Mekong countries.
• Enhance networks among practitioners (farmers), experts from government agencies and academic institutes, and private enterprises.

Participants

The event will be attended by approximately 75-80 participants, including:

• Youth leaders from the six Mekong-Lancang countries
• Representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok
• Key agencies promoting youth engagement in the region
• Implementing agencies of the WSYLN project, including Thailand’s Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR), Environmental Research Institute Chulalongkorn University (ERIC), Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Asia Centre, and the Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation Center (LMC Water Center)
• Relevant youth networks, including SUMERNET Young Professionals.
• Practitioners, experts from government agencies and academic institutes, and private enterprises.

Photo opportunities

• Keynote sessions and group discussions
• Networking and collaborative activities among youth leaders
• Closing ceremony and joint statement presentation
• Group photo sessions with senior officials and youth leaders

For further information, please contact:

Rajesh Daniel, Head of Communications, SEI Asia [email protected]

Variya Plungwatana, Communications Assistant, SEI Asia, [email protected]