IUCN launches Mekong FLOW to restore wetlands for millions in Southeast Asia

Wetlands are at the heart of river systems. When rivers flood, wetlands hold the surge. When rivers run dry, wetlands keep them flowing.

Millions of people across Southeast Asia’s low-lying deltas and coastal plains depend on these river networks for agriculture, fishing and tourism. Floodplain wetlands like the Mekong Delta support over 60 million people, with fisheries providing up to 80% of their animal protein and contributing significantly to agricultural productivity and flood reduction. Despite their importance to biodiversity and human wellbeing, wetlands across the region are facing threats from habitat loss, development, pollution and climate change.  

This World Wetlands Day, IUCN Asia is launching Mekong FLOW: Freshwater Landscapes and Opportunities for Wetlands-based Adaptation, a four-year 2 million USD project, funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation, aimed at improving the health of wetlands to strengthen community resilience to climate impacts across four countries. 

“Through our collaboration with IUCN, we’re delighted to help advance Nature-based Solutions that support water security, wetland restoration, and improved resilience for local communities in Southeast Asia,” said Carlos Pagoaga, President, The Coca-Cola Foundation.

The project’s reach spans the Mekong Basin. In Laos, the project will focus on restoring and reconnecting over 1000 hectares of wetlands within the 12,400-hectare Xe Champhone Ramsar Site, as well as helping fisheries strengthen food security. In Thailand, work will focus on supporting grassroots efforts to designate the Ing River Basin as a Ramsar Site – a wetland of international importance – while restoring one of the last flooded forest tributaries in the Mekong.

“As climate change and ecosystem degradation continue to impact local communities in the Mekong region, it is even more crucial to protect healthy wetlands that act as a buffer against floods and droughts, as well as biodiversity loss,” said Dr Dindo Campilan, Regional Director for Asia and Hub Director for Oceania, IUCN. “The Mekong FLOW project provides an opportunity to scale IUCN’s work with national partners for more climate resilient nature-positive wetland-based livelihoods."

Across Cambodia and Viet Nam, Mekong FLOW will focus on restoring up to 200 hectares with more biodiverse crops and fisheries systems. Efforts here will also centre on creating buffer zones in protected wetlands, while championing legal protection of over 50,000 hectares in the Bassac Marshes – the largest remaining natural wetland in the Mekong Delta.

Mekong FLOW builds on IUCN’s existing networks, including the Indo-Burma Regional Ramsar Initiative (IBRRI) – a regional initiative established in 2016 which brings together Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam, with IUCN Asia serving as the Secretariat. Through its Strategic Plan 2025-2030, IBRRI countries are working to enhance wetland management, mainstream climate adaptation policies, and secure sustainable financing for nature-based solutions.

By building on existing regional work and addressing threats to wetlands today, Mekong FLOW has the potential to restore the ecosystems that underpin agricultural productivity, fisheries, and flood protection for millions across the Mekong Delta.