 Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I still see people taking their seats so please join when you can. Okay, I feel very tall on this podium here. So first of all can I say a welcome to Dr. Charnan Pakdijit, the Deputy Permanent Secretary from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Dr. Gemma Edgar, acting Deputy Head of Mission for the Australian Embassy to Thailand. Welcome. Partners, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. It's a great pleasure to welcome you here to the Mekong Environmental Resilience Week for 2023 where we hope over the course of this week we'll bring together over 200 different key stakeholders who all have a genuine interest in looking at the sustainability of the Mekong region. So we have a lot of knowledge, expertise and capacity in the room so thank you. And at SEI for those of you don't know, our mission is to bridge the gap between science and policy and indeed best practice. There's no point in having great research if it isn't utilised and helping support policy and there's no point in having policies if they're not implemented. So we've got to bridge the gap between all three. And as a global think tank SEI continues to bring our expertise and capacity to the region over the last 20 years. We'll actually be 20 years in Thailand next year so we look forward to celebrating with you. However we can't do this alone. We need to work in partnership in areas of co-production of knowledge with you, the key stakeholders here. And we need to make sure that this cooperation is amongst the different sectors and we work in a transdisciplinary process to ensure that we're listening to all those involved and all the situations that we need to address. And our contribution in the region revolves around connecting research to policy and best practice as I said so that we can have an impact on the ground for those who are struggling with some of the changing conditions, whether it's environment or economic issues. We want to do this in a sustainable and inclusive set of policies that are co-produced with you. Since 2005 we have been working with what's called the SUMMERNET, the Sustainable Mekong Research Network, but now more recently and thanks to the great support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade from Australia, SEI and the consortium partners and I think there's 24 organisations involved in this are embarking on a journey to further enhance this inclusiveness and the effectiveness of science and policy interface through the Mekong Total Leadership and Think Tank Network programme. And through this programme we've recently developed a call for research and policy engagement projects to ensure that we have the latest information and the clear pathways to drive this positive change across the region. And throughout these initiatives we emphasise the approach of the link from research to policy and further to best practice so the objective is as I said to go beyond policy to make sure we're actually delivering on the ground for those who need it. As an organisation and as a programme we make sure that we focus on being transparent in how we operate and we ensure inclusion across all aspects of our work especially in the projects that we're going to design and work with and also in all the fellows that we brought on board which I think some of you will see here today. We also put gender equality, disability and social inclusion at the forefront of all our initiatives and especially here through this Mekong Total Leadership and Think Tank programme. And by doing this we hope that we can ensure leadership, knowledge development and policy form formulation are as inclusive as we can be so that indeed no one is left behind. So in recent years within Summonet and since the inception of this programme we're also more and focused on engaging with the next generation and we have a number I think 30-35 fellows that we will support during this programme. Many of them are here today, of the first batch at least and we hope that we also expect that in the years to come they will take leading positions either in governments or in organisations in research so that they will be influencing the future and that starts today so we're very proud to have those with us here today as well. So what is unique about the Mekong Total Leadership and Think Tank Network is their efforts to engage and build alliances from knowledge-based policy influence organisations and through these engagements and alliances we will contribute to improved, more robust and more inclusive policy landscapes in the Mekong region especially in the nexus of water, climate and energy. And it's critical in this that we approach this with the mindset of cascading impacts, integrating trans-boundary approaches so that the solutions that we choose in one country don't have a negative impact on another so again we need to work collectively to achieve this. So in line with our objectives in this programme and with support from our colleagues at DFAT, we're organising this alliance meeting today and this policy forum to open a gateway for further partnerships and to enhance the collaboration with all of you as key stakeholders with the aligned goals of more sustainable, inclusive and environmental resilience for all. So I thank you all for joining us today and we look forward to some key insights and understanding and good discussions so keep us on our toes. Thank you very much. Sawaddee ka. On behalf of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Kingdom of Thailand, I'm pleased to welcome you to the Mekong Regional Water, Energy and Climate Alliance Forum 2023. This gathering marks an important milestone in our collective efforts to address sustainability challenge that Mekong Regional faced today. The Mekong region with its exceptional natural beauty and resource has long been a source of life and livelihood for the community that call it home. If the rapid development of our community has undoubtedly brought growth and possibility but it has come at a cost that we cannot no longer ignore our commitment to the sustainable development must extend beyond economic gain to encompass social equity and environmental responsibility. It is within the context that this forum takes on its crucial significance. Ladies and gentlemen, this forum is not just another event but a dynamic platform for discussion between stakeholders. The aim is to engage into mutually beneficial exchange of perspective, diving into the critical knowledge gaps policymaking and partnerships that can guide us toward a more sustainable Mekong region. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment recognize the importance of science policy. Participation of stakeholders in addressing environmental challenge such as climate change by order of the city laws and pollution. Through this platform our ministry is keen to work with other partners in identifying research gaps and translates significant information into policy. We also recognize the need for an integrated approach to water energy and climate change. Represent in Mekong region with the participation of representatives from the agencies. I'm confident that we can find solutions that will build a more sustainable and equitable future for the Mekong region. Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank the sustainable Mekong research network and Mekong thought leadership and think tank network program for co-organizing this forum. I also commend them for their dedication in advancing research, policy development and co-collaboration. I also extend our sincere appreciation to the government of Australia and Sweden for their kind financial support in organizing this important event. Without doubt through collaboration and open minds we have the ability to make different in our lives and those who depend on Mekong region. Thank you, thank you. Well good morning everyone and thank you for letting me follow both of you. It's absolutely my pleasure to join to join Nile and Dr Chan and to welcome everyone to the Mekong regional water energy and climate alliance forum. It's great to see so many enthusiastic people joining us from across the region so koppongka. It's really an exciting day I think for Australia and our colleagues here as we you know seek to deepen our partnerships with the Mekong sub-region. I think Australia has had a relatively long engagement in the region partly because you know geographically we're very much neighbours and of course we've got really strong and close people-to-people links which have only gotten stronger in recent years. At the end of 2020 the Australian government announced what we call the Mekong Australia partnership or the map and that basically committed Australia to work more closely with the region in a real diversity of ways but like including people-to-people links for example including you know politically but really crucially to that is to work together more to address the impact of the climate crisis because we know that you know while the impact here in the Mekong you know is obviously you know of a genuine concern it's an issue for the globe and and exactly as the deputy permanent secretary outlined it's something that we need to address must address by working together. I know that there's a real wealth of knowledge and experience in the region and Australia's aim is to work with you researchers and academic institutions to produce studies contributing to more effective policies to address the climate crisis. We also want to do this through supporting a sustainable network of universities and research agencies working on water energy and climate and we hope that today's forum is one of the ways that will you know to expand people's understandings of the of the issues. We're also going to be providing research grants for regional and local organisations because we know that there is value in locally red led research so that's people like those of you in the room people like those online there is value in this locally led research because it takes into account local experiences and it integrates traditional and sometimes indigenous knowledge and practice. We're also really pleased to be supporting fellowships for promising researchers and policymakers in the region because we want the next generation of researchers to be well equipped and exposed to tackle the climate crisis and I understand that the first group of fellows is here in the room today and I look forward to having the chance to meet you if not today then tomorrow and I believe that we'll shortly I think it's later in the day be announcing some fellowship grants particularly for female researchers differently abled individuals and those representing ethnic and indigenous communities in the region so you know Australia's super excited and proud to be supporting these people. I want to take a moment to thank Nile and the SEI team who have put together this week's event so I can see all of us can see just how much work has gone into this event. I certainly acknowledge Sweden and the foundation blocks they've built through Summonet. A big thank you to Montray you have a very very ambitious climate agenda here in Thailand and Australia is is keen to support you as much as we can on that but thank you for joining us today. Thank you as well to Tula University for co-hosting this event but mostly thank you to all of you for joining us today. You know it is your active engagement that will make this event work and I look forward to understanding how it goes so koppung ka and enjoy today thank you. Good morning Excellencies ladies and gentlemen it is my really great pleasure to be here today and also deliver introductory remarks. What I would like to really say is today here just to really give the background on what really why we are here. Someone can go to the next slide please so I just want to really give the background that the reason why we get together here next slide please is because we are really understanding that the region is really changing a lot. The macro region is changing what are the changes there's many things changed over the past 20 years so the region changed because of physical change increasing more infrastructures and because of we need for development at the same time recognizing that these developments need to come with the cost so that's why we need to really think about how we address the cost on this why offering the opportunities and also benefit we recognize there are some those of people who really need to really bear the cost for us and we also recognize the change in demographic and societal change with the growth of their economics development in the region and we also understand really a lot of change in development in technologies and last but not least there's so much expansions of corporations among different organizations, regional cooperation mechanisms next please so this is really have the opportunities for us to expect that many regional corporations will contribute to the region but one of the big question is who will actually help bridging the high-level discussions the top-down decision-making process who will actually help be ambassador to less really important issues of those who really need to rely on national resources and environment and there in the region there's so many mechanisms and I would say there's only few long-term mechanisms that not led by the government so the government-led initiative is great but we feel that there will be so much benefit for us to cooperate together having non-government and also work closely with other stakeholders in the region to reflect the need on-ground and one of their long-term network in the region we can name a few and I want to highlight one of the network called SUMMONET sustainable medical research network exists for more than 18 years already next please so who isn't SUMMONET what is SUMMONET SUMMONET is a network that established by 14 founding members from six countries with a passion to use the knowledge-based policy process to inform the policy and now we expanded the network members to include more than 600 networks members from 200 organizations a lot of activity around knowledge co-production engagement with their stakeholders on-ground to inform the policy but I will say that despite we have more than 200 scanties and also many people working on research it's still not enough the region is really enormous the challenge we are faced here we cannot use the traditional knowledge to address we need to be innovative not only the context of the research methodology but innovative on engaging with policy process with practitioners next please and that's why there are 25 organizations uh solo most of them associated with SUMMONET trying to really think about how we can move forward build on the SUMMONET to address the challenge in the region and that's why this is the born of Mekongta leadership and things like it will program that's kindly supported by the government of Australia from the fact Mekong Australian partnership Mekong Mekong energy and climate program mapway so what is this program supposed to do we try to build on the strengths of the SUMMONET and really make more proactive in engaging with policy engagement and also co-production of knowledge process we're trying to see how we can enhance the regional alliance that already exists in the region next please the next info graphics is to really explain briefly what Mekongta leadership and think tank network program will address basically what we're trying to do is how we can really enhance the waters energy and climate research and policy interface that are more robust and more inclusive when it comes to robust and inclusive that mean 25 organizations will never be achieving this really passions we need to work with everyone and by doing this what we're trying to do as one of the small program is to how we can enhance the role and the capacities and effectiveness of think tank indeligion when we say think tanks indeligion here we did not really or only include the government think tank or formal organization that name themselves at the think tank but we refer to any organizations that have the passions to inform the policy using the knowledge as their kind of mechanisms to convey what we need to address in the future next please and what really the program trying to do i would like to explain info components uh i will not read all but i will say what is the highlights in these four components that each component really play a crucial role in addressing the current gap indeligion the first one how can we enhance the development of homegrown leadership and homegrown thought leaders indeligion in waters energy and climate this is the first component the second component is really how we can address the knowledge gap that inform the practical solutions in waters energy and climate through inclusive participatory process and under that we actually do scoping studies and also offering the grants and my colleague will explain further but i just want to say briefly we are now inviting the application for four flagships studies for policy and practice and seven nationals lobbyless fund grants projects so if you really feel that there are really some burning topics and burning knowledge gap burning policy gap that can be addressed or should be addressed in one or one and a half year that is really right uh kind of topic that we would like to support the others component on component three on engagement beyond a dialogue today is one of the work under the component to make sure that we really have inclusive process in dialogue engaging with the many stakeholders not only policy makers but all others uh knowledge based policy organizations and uh people and other organizations we are really addressing the issue with disabilities gender social equality and the last component is very important is how we can support um professional development for agents of change that jama highlighting the importance of supporting young generations to be future leaders and really have a passion to contribute to this we cannot address this within 25 organization we really would like to invite anyone organization would like to host the fellow really inform us so we would like to play some of the excellent talent fellows from four countries to be in your organization in one or one and a half year next please and today i just want to as mentioned earlier there are still two three granting opportunities still on and we will open for the application until end of this month so uh Dr. Tanaporn will talk more in detail in the afternoon so please really keep really attentions the next please now i would like to really highlight 25 organizations that we are working in the consortium ACI is leading the consortium member but i would say we have many bosses we have book hamster in committees representing nine organizations we have 17 organizations in consortium members really help beside this program but we like to invite more next please and that's why we are here and thank you for coming these events have three objectives the first one we would like to present and discuss on the findings we have more than 100 organizations joining contributing to the scoping studies to understand the context of the legion different organizations put so much effort in addressing the issue linking with water energy and climate and we will learn the Lisa from their effort during the past 10 years and lastly we would like to really seek the interest of other members and futures to cooperate with us in the future alliance or work that we will carry out under the program next please okay now here you may want to know who are with us here so i will say that i'm so pleased not only colleague and friend that you could see in person here we actually have more than 60 participants online so we have more than 100 160 plus participant registers in this event and it's quite nice to see is that we have quite balance in terms of gender so we have 52 women 46 men and then we have non-binary one and people not to say one so we really opens for any interest party to engage with us because this is really not the work that only few people can do this is the work for the whole legion i will not say that only those living in the basin on the macaw but macong legion citizens and friends who love macong legion have really big work to work together we have participants from different country i will not really say in each country but i will say we really have a good coverage on the participants who really have the passions to work on this together next please and how about the speakers we highlighting the importance of having really people who will be on the stage to speak and representing the will of people in the legion and i'm so happy we have quite balance in terms of gender also we have 48 men and also 52 movement and then we have many organizations joining this effort next please and the last slide for this just to give the background on the participants we have several organizations of course from academia group and also those who really do the research and we also have quite good representations from civil societies and government also we have donors with us we have media we have eight percent of young professionals so i'm so excited and always feel so much happy to have someone who young and really give positive energy and really kind of bright vision for the legion and next please here i just want to call on all members contributing to the events um i'd like to invite anyone you feel yourselves form the government from the american countries can you please stand up american countries please stand up the government the government please yeah so please give me a hand we know you are so busy you're here we are happy that someone really recognized our work so so much happy thank you so much for being here and then we have great support from australian government in sweden and many others and my colleague from this yeah please stand up australian sweden and all others yeah please stand up donors thank you so much for having us here both i'm standing committee mekongta leadership and think tank network please stand up standing committees standing committee yes so please stand up so we have nine members thank you they are leading this program and we also have someone at steering committees really work 18 years in the network please stand up stand up please we have actually 13 members here stand up please thank you and we have program advisors and all resource person and speakers please stand up speakers advisors okay all speakers and modulators please stand up thank you so much okay and we have their program fellow mekongta leadership think tank network fellows we have seven fellows please stand up don't be shy you are the most youngest members yeah thank you we also have their um uh some of the fellows and coordinators from some of the young professionals please stand up thank you thank you there we have the show this evening so please pay attention don't escape okay before dinner okay and all other participants please stand up who haven't been called please stand up thank you so much for being here your passions your experience will contribute greatly to the events and really for future for the mekong thank you very much