Vientiane, Feb 22 (IANS): The Mekong River Commission (MRC) is working to promote the maximization of the potential benefits of hydropower and other water-related development projects while minimising the harmful impact on the environment and millions of people living along this Southeast Asia's largest river.

The MRC launched two sets of guidelines for developers to make their projects more sustainable -- the Preliminary Design Guidance for Proposed Mainstream Dams (known as the PDG) and the Guidelines for Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment, an MRC press release said.

"The four MRC members are well aware of the growing challenges facing the Mekong River as it is undergoing tremendous transformations," Xinhua news agency quoted Anoulak Kittikhoun, CEO of the MRC Secretariat, during the launch ceremony in Lao capital Vientiane, as saying.

"That is why these documents are timely and critical as they demonstrate the steadfast commitment and collective efforts of the MRC members to address issues of regional importance," Kittikhoun said.

The old PDG, introduced in 2009, covered more technical aspects of dam construction and operations, such as hydraulics, sediment transport, geomorphology, water quality, aquatic ecology, fish and fisheries, dam safety, and navigation.

The new PDG is an updated version that includes hydrology and socio-economic impact, focusing even more on riparian communities and riverine livelihoods, according to the press release.

The MRC, an intergovernmental organization established in 1995, serves as a regional platform for water diplomacy and the Mekong knowledge hub, following the Mekong Agreement among Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam.