Toxic rivers: Mining pollution and the fight for clean water in mainland Southeast Asia

More than a year ago, communities living along the Kok River in Chiang Rai discovered that the water sustaining their livelihoods had been contaminated with heavy metals linked to upstream mining operations in Myanmar. Civil society groups have since mounted an energetic campaign that has drawn significant media attention, yet many residents say the response from Thai authorities has been limited, leaving them unable to safely use water from the river.
The problem is part of a much wider regional challenge. In late 2025, the Stimson Center released an interactive dashboard identifying more than 2,400 unregulated mining sites across mainland Southeast Asia that are polluting tributaries feeding major river systems, including the Irrawaddy, Salween and Mekong.

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Join us at the FCCT to hear from a panel of experts that will discuss the scale of mining pollution across the region, review responses from national governments, the Mekong River Commission and international partners, and discuss what more must be done to address the environmental and health consequences of toxic mining runoff in Southeast Asia’s shared river systems.
 
Speakers include:
 
Brian Eyler, director of the Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia programme, author of ‘Last Days of the Mighty Mekong’.
 
Other speakers to be confirmed.

Members who wish to book in advance should email info@fccthai.com or call the FCCT office on 02-652-0580.
Non-members can use this link.