BACKGROUND

The First Summit of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) takes place in Hua Hin, Thailand, on 5 April 2010 to gather regional Prime Ministers, political leaders, MRCs Dialogue Partners, the People's Republic of China and the Union of Myanmar, its Development Partners and a range of experts in the field of transboundary water resources management. This event marks the 15th Anniversary of the Mekong River Commission and will serve to reaffirm at the highest level, political commitment of Member Countries to the mission of the MRC.

A report released by the Mekong River Commission (MRC) reveals good news for the general health of the Mekong Basin, but warns that this and the eco-systems of the river system could be threatened by proposed infrastructure and expanding populations.

"The water quality of almost all the mainstream monitoring stations is rated as 'excellent' for the protection of aquatic life," says the MRC's State of the Basin Report 2010, released today, with the exception of areas of high population density and in the

ADB's Board of Directors approved a US$2 million grant from the Japan Special Fund for regional technical assistance to support investments in water-related disaster management. The Fund is financed by the Government of Japan and administered by ADB.

Water-related disasters in the region have risen sharply over the past 50 years, killing an average of 63,000

The Federation’s vision is to strive, through voluntary action, for a world of empowered communities, better able to address human suffering and crises with hope, respect for dignity and a concern for equity. Its mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity. It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization and its millions of volunteers are active in over 185 countries.

In Brief

- Programme Update no. 3, Period covered: 1 July to 30 September 2006;

Background

People of the Asia-Pacific region are severely affected by natural hazards such as earthquakes, typhoons, floods, landslides, volcanoes, droughts, tsunamis, and wildfires. Asia's vulnerability is compounded by socio-economic conditions that steadily increase the impact of disasters. Demographic changes, urbanization, and environmental degradation

This Bulletin is being issued for information only. The Federation is not seeking funding or other assistance from donors at this time. The Cambodian Red Cross is handling the whole operation as well as running several other ongoing programmes in the country.

The Situation

Heavy rain and strong winds have continued

The government was seeking United Nations help to get food to thousands of villagers made homeless by the floods, Nhim Vanda, deputy chairman of the national disaster committee, told Reuters.

Cambodia's Red Cross had distributed food to nearly 10,000 people in the southern province of Kampot, the hardest hit, but others were still awaiting help, provincial governor Thach Khorn