SEI SUMERNET 4 All 2018-2024

As of the end of 2023, SUMERNET has awarded 39 grants consisting of 10 Collaborative Research projects, 1 Groundwater Integrated Regional Assessment (GIRA) project, 6 Joint Action projects, 1 Emerging (COVID-19) Research and 5 Rapid Response Research projects, 9 Small grants, and 7 Fellowship grants. Seventeen of these grants are multi-country research projects, thereby exceeding the original target of 12 projects. Through these grants, SUMERNET is supporting 230 researchers (129 men and 101 women), of which 84 are young and early career researchers (46 men and 38 women). A joint action project on flood risk management in the Stung Sen River basin of Cambodia (FloodCam) led to recommendations that provincial authorities agreed to use in the development of the provincial disaster management plan. Another joint action project on inclusive community flood risk management in Ban Phai Municipality, Thailand has led to a 1,5 billion THB investment by the Government in Thailand on flood prevention and management in the Ban Phai municipality. A regional groundwater project (GIRA) led to Cambodia's Department of Water Supply and Sanitation using the results to propose a project together with SEI/SUMERNET that will improve groundwater management in Cambodia. SUMERNET attracted further funding to SEI during 2023. The Government of Australia (DFAT) funded the Mekong Thought Leaderships and Think Tank Network program. The program is managed under the umbrella of SUMERNET. SEI and SUMERNET are participating in a Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Project on Building Water Sector Youth Leadership Network in Lancang-Mekong Region (WSYLN Project). In partnership with the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR), Thailand, SEI won funding from LMC to initiate a regional Water Sector Youth Leadership Network (WSYLN). This work will complement/strengthen the SUMERNET Young Professional Network (SYP) and potentially expand SUMERNET memberships and outreach to young professionals working in the water sector from 6 countries, particularly from China SUMERNET Young Professional Network (SYP) facilitating LMCs 1st Regional Consultation Workshop, Building Water Sector Youth Leadership Network in the Lancang-Mekong Region Project, in Chiang Rai, October 2023. The SYP core team has the opportunity to engage and network with other young professionals from the Mekong and build their capacity for planning and organizing regional events. During 2023 there were 66 scientific papers accepted fro review by scientific journals. 58 of these were or international journals. More information is available on page 48 of the annex to the narrative report.

SUMERNET 4 All will improve the policies and practices in reducing water insecurity by conducting collaborative research, engaging in the policy process, and promoting scientifically sound research and innovation while considering gender and social equality, human rights, conflict sensitivity, environmental integrity and poverty reduction in the Mekong Region.