The Mekong 2026 wet season has arrived, and dams in the basin are beginning to transition from months of releasing water during the dry season to store forthcoming rainfall. Dry season water releases from upstream kept river levels high above normal, doubling or nearly doubling river levels from March – May. High river levels during the dry season are extremely harmful to local ecologies like Cambodia’s protected flooded forests and to natural resource provisions which rely on seasonally low levels. Looking ahead, an El Niño–potentially an extremely strong one–will likely impact timing and amount of rainfall in the region and contribute to higher-than-usual heat.
How will dam operators react to the El Niño and shifts in rainfall? What does El Niño mean for the Mekong river, local communities which rely on it for fishing and farming, and hydropower production?
Join the Mekong Dam Monitor team for its forecast for the 2026 wet season and overview of dam operations and other developments during the 2026 dry season. Guest speakers will discuss the implications of El Nino on regional power systems and agricultural productivity.
Featured Speakers
Brian Eyler, Senior Fellow and Director, Southeast Asia Program, Stimson Center
Brian is an expert on transboundary issues in the Mekong region and China’s economic cooperation with Southeast Asia. He is widely recognized as a leading voice on environmental and water security issues in the Mekong. Brian co-leads the Mekong Dam Monitor, winner of 2021 Esri Special Achievement in GIS Award, 2021 Prudence Foundation’s Disaster Tech Competition, and Renewable Natural Resources Foundation’s 2021 Outstanding Achievement Award.
Alan Basist, Founder of Eyes on Earth
Alan Basist has worked in climate sciences for almost 40 years with experience ranging from work as a research scientist in NOAA, an employee of a reinsurance company, an entrepreneur identifying climate variability and promoting mitigation and risk management strategies. In 2013 he started Eyes On Earth to service the agricultural and insurance industry on climate related investments, as well as monitoring food and water resources around the world. He is co-lead of the Mekong Dam Monitor.
Dinita Setyawati, Senior Energy Analyst for Asia, EMBER
Dinita leads Ember’s Southeast Asia team. She analyses energy trends across Asia, focusing on energy security, data centres, smart grids, clean flexibility, CBAM readiness, and clean energy transition pathways. She has contributed to government consultations led by the UN, GIZ, and other development agencies. She authored ASEAN’s just and inclusive energy transition guidelines, academic articles in Energy Policy, and books including State-of-the-Art Indonesia Energy Transition. A Kyoto University doctoral graduate, her experience spans the Asia-Pacific region, including ASEAN, Australia, and Japan.
Sokphalkun Out, Energy Policy Manager and Government Relations Lead, EnergyLab Asia
Sokphalkun Out is the Energy Policy Manager and Government Relations lead at EnergyLab Asia, a non-profit organisation dedicated to accelerating the transition to clean energy across Southeast Asia. With over five years of experience in the energy sector, she works at the intersection of government, industry, and civil society to advance Cambodia’s renewable energy agenda, including national EV policy, renewable energy adoptions, and industrial competitiveness. She has led multi-ministry engagement across Cambodia’s key economic sectors and represented EnergyLab in regional and international energy forums.
Nguyen Huu Thien, Independent consultant
Nguyen Huu Thien has more than 25 years of experience working on issues of climate change, natural resource management, biodiversity, energy and sustainable livelihoods in Southeast Asia. He has served as a project manager, technical advisor, educator, trainer and consultant, among many other positions. Over the past 15 years, Thien has worked with the International Centre for Environmental Management (ICEM), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), The World Conservation Union (IUCN), CARE International Vietnam, and Can Tho University advising on issues of conservation and capacity building for sustainable and locally grown development.
Courtney Weatherby, Fellow and Deputy Director, Stimson Center Southeast Asia Program (Moderator)
Courtney Weatherby is a Fellow and Deputy Director of the Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia and Energy, Water, and Sustainability programs. Her work takes a multi-sector lens to explore and address challenges related to energy, infrastructure, online scam operations, critical minerals, and water governance. She focuses on the Mekong region, where she has led major policy reports and supports platforms like the Mekong Dam Monitor and Mekong Infrastructure Tracker. She previously worked with the State Department, CSIS, and Human Rights Watch, and holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in Asian and East Asian Studies.
