The Sweet Spring Action for Rural Poverty Reduction in Lancang-Mekong Countries (LMCs), a project initiated by IWHR, has been recognized in the fifth edition of the Global Best Poverty Reduction Practices.

The list was jointly released by seven organizations, including the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Bank (WB), and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), during the 2024 High-Level Forum on Poverty Reduction and Development hosted by China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on October 31 in Beijing.

Launched in 2020, the project focuses on key areas of water resources cooperation in the Lancang-Mekong region. With an emphasis on safe rural water supply, it harnesses China’s strengths in technology, expertise, and funding to support the construction of rural water supply infrastructure in LMCs and enhance the two sides’ exchanges regarding related policies, management, and technical systems.

To date, the project has established over 100 water supply demonstration sites in rural areas of Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, ensuring safe drinking water for tens of thousands of local residents. This initiative has significantly bolstered the development of rural water supply projects in LMCs, improved the capacity to ensure safe water access, enhanced local public well-being, and promoted mutual benefits between China and the Lancang-Mekong region.

The project was previously included in the List of Practical Cooperation Projects of the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Its interim achievements were also featured in China’s white paper titled Jointly Building the Belt and Road: A Major Practice in Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind.