Sustainable Economic Development for Mekong Community Leaders
OVERVIEW
From August 8-13, 2024, Global New Orleans hosted a delegation from the Mekong River Basin to strengthen U.S.- Mekong cooperation on climate change and water governance. This program connected local officials, academics, and community leaders from the Mekong region with their counterparts in the Mississippi River Basin, fostering dialogue on shared challenges in water resource management. The participants exchanged practical strategies for climate adaptation, resilience, and green economic development, while exploring how local governance can play a critical role in transboundary water governance, highlighting our growing need for collaboration to protect vital ecosystems and livelihoods in both river basins.
PARTICIPANTS
Mr. Pyi Soe AUNG | Burma
Conservation Director, Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF)
Mr. Kong HENG, Ph.D. | Cambodia
Director, Inland Research and Development Institute, Fisheries Administration, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Ms. Reaksmey LUY | Cambodia
Executive Director, Culture and Environment Preservation Association (CEPA)
Mr. Kearoth RATH | Cambodia
Officer, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Mr. Sypha CHANTHAVONG, Ph.D. | Laos
Head, Postgraduate Studies Division, Faculty of Law and Political Science, National University of Laos
Ms. Noudsavanh PHEUNGSAVANH | Laos
Trainer and Communication Officer, Land Learning Initiative, Food Security Enhancement Project
Mr. Saykham VOLADET, Ph.D. | Laos
Director General, Research Management Office, Lao Academy of Social and Economic Sciences
Mr. Teerapong POMUN | Thailand
Mekong Community Institute Association
Ms. Saengrawee SUWEERAKAN | Thailand
Vice President, Romphothi Foundation
Mr. Anh Huy HUYNH, Ph.D. | Vietnam
Dean, School of Education, Can Tho University
Mr. Van An QUACH, Ph.D. | Vietnam
Vice Director, Department of Science and Technology of Ca Mau Province
ACTIVITIES
This group of environmental professionals and community advocates met with local experts to discuss shared challenges in water resource management, sustainable economic development, and conservation. Principal Chief Lora Ann Chaisson of the United Houma Nation led a conversation about the impacts of economic development and extractive industries on traditional ways of life and strategies for maintaining Indigenous culture. James Karst, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL), met the group at their headquarters on the Violet Canal in St. Bernard Parish to showcase the organization’s efforts to fortify coastal wetlands and raise awareness about the rapid pace of coastal land loss. Michelle Wilkerson, Development Coordinator for Sankofa Community Development Corporation, highlighted their extensive sustainability and neighborhood improvement projects in the Lower Ninth Ward. The group toured the Sankofa Wetland Park, a 40-acre refuge where Louisiana native wildlife, flora, and fauna have returned in droves, and visited the future site of the Sankofa Fresh Start Market. Finally, the group met with Dr. John Sabo and faculty members of the ByWater Institute at Tulane University to discuss their ongoing research on the impacts of climate change, sea level rise, coastal land loss, and other problems in the Lower Mississippi River and Louisiana coastal zone.