Stimson Center 47d ago

Join for a discussion about celebrating Songkran alongside a contaminated river with community leaders and experts who unpack transboundary mining impacts, cultural resilience, and what's needed to protect shared waters This webinar explores what it means for a community to celebrate the 2026 Songkran Water Festival when their local water source has become contaminated. In Tha Ton, a community on the Kok River in northern Thailand, residents must avoid contact with river water amid growing concern about contamination linked to upstream mining in Myanmar. With support from a small grant from the Stimson Center, the Romphoti Foundation helped Tha Ton celebrate Songkran safely by securing clean ceremonial water, coordinating with community partners, and providing drinking water and filtration. Building from these community experiences, the webinar will zoom out to a wider transboundary challenge affecting the Kok River and other northern rivers. Keynoters and panelists who are advocating for government response in the Kok River and Mekong will share insights from recent work on river health, community impacts, and the policy responses needed to reduce pollution risks. Together, speakers will connect cultural resilience with evidence-based action to protect shared waters.