Australia and World Vision back BASIN to boost climate-smart jobs in the Mekong
Friday, 23 October 2025
Australia and World Vision back BASIN to boost climate-smart jobs in the Mekong
The Australian Government, through the Mekong-Australia Partnership (MAP), has partnered with World Vision to launch the Building Climate-adaptive Solutions through Inclusive Market Networks (BASIN) project, a bold new push to make agri-food systems fairer, greener and more resilient in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
Backed by AUD 10 million over 2025 to 2029, BASIN will directly support 24,000 people, including smallholder farmers, women, and people with disabilities. It will also indirectly benefit more than 200,000 individuals across the Mekong subregion.
BASIN’s focus over the next four years will be:
Helping farmers and local businesses adopt climate-smart practices and open up market links.
Growing green jobs and products, working with producers, buyers and local authorities.
Putting gender equality, disability equity and social inclusion at the centre of the activities—from household decision-making to leadership in cooperatives, and from scoping new opportunities for women in green value chains to engaging civil society and grassroots organisations in promoting supportive social norms and behaviours.
Focusing where climate hits hardest: Kratie (Cambodia), Champasak (Laos) and An Giang (Vietnam).
“BASIN is not just a response to climate change—it’s also rewiring how local markets work so everyone can participate and thrive,” said Thano Im, BASIN Regional Program Director at World Vision. “We’re co-designing solutions with communities, businesses and policymakers—so the models, practices and policies stick long after the last dollar is invested by this program.”
“Women, people with disabilities, and ethnic minorities are central to our region’s economies yet often face the greatest climate risks,” continued Thano Im. “BASIN will engage men as allies and strengthen women’s voice and agency at home, in cooperatives, and beyond.”
“Australia is proud to support BASIN through the Mekong-Australia Partnership,” said Andrew Egan, Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy, Thailand, which hosts the MAP Mekong Hub. “We are deepening our engagement with Mekong partners to reduce climate vulnerabilities and enhance the economic resilience of the subregion. This initiative represents our commitment to locally driven, inclusive development.”
BASIN also partners with the University of Technology Sydney’s Institute for Sustainable Futures (UTS ISF) to generate evidence which can shape policy across the region.
“We are excited to partner with World Vision and the BASIN project on ensuring field programming can inform regional and national policy and decision making,” said Frederico Davila, Research Director at UTS ISF. “With climate change only accelerating in the region, targeted research and evidence-based dialogue on inclusive and climate resilient growth is critical.”
The Mekong subregion, home to 300 million people, faces a triple threat of climate stress, entrenched poverty and gender inequality. BASIN’s inclusive market systems approach backs practical fixes: better prices, better practices and better prospects, especially for those too often locked out.
Local solutions. Stronger resilience to a changing climate. A fairer shot at a decent income for everyone. And lasting change that is truly transformational for communities.
ENDS