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Mekong River Commission Leadership Development Program

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) Leadership Development Program is a collaborative initiative designed to strengthen the leadership capabilities of senior water professionals and emerging leaders across the Lower Mekong Basin. Delivered through the Mekong-Australia Partnership (MAP), the program supports the Mekong River Commission Secretariat and National Mekong Committees to address increasingly complex water governance challenges through stronger leadership, collaboration, and institutional resilience.

Combining online learning, in-person workshops, an Australia-based leadership immersion, and ongoing mentoring, the program equips participants with practical skills in adaptive leadership, strategic decision-making, organisational change, and cross-boundary collaboration. Through engagement with Australian water governance institutions and regional peers, participants gain exposure to innovative approaches for managing shared water resources and responding to emerging challenges such as climate change, competing water demands, and evolving development pressures across the Mekong Basin.

By investing in current and future leaders, the program contributes to stronger regional cooperation, more effective water governance, and the successful implementation of the MRC’s strategic priorities across Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Status

In progress: Commenced September 2026

Project Location

Includes representatives from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam

Program Partners

Gender Development Association (GDA), Griffith Asia Institute

Funded by

The MRC LDP is funded by the Australian Government through the Mekong-Australia Partnership and implemented by the International WaterCentre, Griffith University.

Project Contact

Adjunct at GU, Bronwyn Powell: bronwyn.powell@griffith.edu.au

Associate Professor, Brian McIntosh: b.mcintosh@griffith.edu.au

Program Objectives

The Mekong River Commission Leadership Development Program aims to:

  • Strengthen leadership, management and strategic decision-making capabilities among senior MRC personnel and National Mekong Committee representatives.
  • Support effective implementation of the MRC Basin Development Strategy and Strategic Plan 2026-2030.
  • Build capacity for organisational change, adaptive leadership and institutional resilience in response to evolving environmental, social and geopolitical challenges.
  • Enhance collaboration and coordination across countries, institutions and sectors involved in Mekong water governance.
  • Promote gender-inclusive leadership by supporting emerging women leaders from National Mekong Committees and partner agencies.
  • Strengthen professional networks between Mekong water leaders, Australian institutions and regional development partners.
  • Support participants to apply leadership learning through mentoring, peer learning and workplace-based leadership challenges.
Why this program matters

The Mekong Basin faces growing pressure from climate change, economic development, hydropower expansion, competing water demands and increasingly complex transboundary governance challenges. At the same time, the Mekong River Commission is implementing ambitious institutional reforms and strategic initiatives to strengthen regional cooperation and sustainable water resource management.

Addressing these challenges requires not only strong technical expertise, but also capable leaders who can navigate complexity, build consensus across borders, lead organisational change, and foster collaboration among diverse stakeholders. The Leadership Development Program helps meet this need by developing the people and networks that underpin effective regional water governance, ultimately contributing to a more resilient, inclusive and cooperative Mekong region.