At the invitation of Dr. Roboon Rassameethes, Director of the Hydro-informatics Institute (HII) of Thailand, Researcher Mao Shiping, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development (IAED) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, along with a delegation of six members, visited Thailand from October 26 to 30, 2025 for a five-day collaborative research mission on agricultural water resource management. The visit focused on agricultural water resource technologies and management in the Lancang-Mekong River region, addressing key issues such as agricultural production resilience under climate change and improvements in water resource management technologies, through in-depth investigations and exchanges.

Exchanging and Discussing Future Cooperation Directions

On October 27, the delegation visited the HII and engaged in in-depth discussions on the achievements, recent progress and future priorities of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund (LMCSF) project "Water Resources Management for Community Resilience and Sustainable Development" between China and Thailand. With the advancement of the LMCSF project, both sides have continued to exchange and learn from practical experiences in agricultural water resource management and application. Moving forward, it is essential to further deepen bilateral cooperation. First, at the institutional level, functional departments and research divisions should work together to promote project collaboration and personnel exchanges, thereby enhancing the precision and effectiveness of cooperation with Thailand. Second, collaborative research at the micro (household) level should be advanced. Both sides will jointly conduct household surveys and case interviews in the Mekong River Basin to propose more targeted water resource management improvement measures for farmers in the context of climate change.

Investigating Practical Experiences in Agricultural Development and Water Resource Management in Thailand

The delegation visited the Saladin Community in Bangkok, the WiangKuk Community in Nong Khai Province, and the Bung Khla Community in Bueng Kan Province to conduct field studies on practical experiences in agricultural development and rural water resource management. In the Saladin Community, the delegation investigated practical experiences in agricultural development, flood prevention and control, and ecological governance. They also visited a water hyacinth organic fertilizer processing plant, river channel management sites, floating coffee shops and facility farmlands. In the WiangKuk Community, the delegation studied the application of water resource governance and new agricultural theories, visiting the "land integration and field cultivation" model, farmland water conservancy facilities, and small-scale cold storage equipment. In the Bung Khla Community, the delegation investigated water resource management and agricultural production, observing the "riverside agriculture" model and small stone dam systems along the Mekong River.

This visit not only systematically investigated Thailand’s agricultural development models and rural water resource management experiences but also clarified the focus of future collaborative research, laying a solid foundation for information resource sharing and technical personnel exchanges. Moving forward, the IAED will continue to leverage its strengths, deepen cooperation and exchanges with the HII in agricultural water resource management and utilization, jointly enhance the resilience of agricultural production under climate change, and promote improvements in agricultural production technologies and water resource management techniques.