Mae Fah Luang University (MFU), led by the Asian Research Center for International Development (ARCID), the Area-based Social Innovation Research Center (Ab-SIRC), students from the Conflict, Security and Border course under the School of Social Innovation, in collaboration with the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), hosted a public academic seminar titled "From Northern Winds to the Mekong Flows” on 18 April 2026. Held at the Institute for Mekong Basin Civilization, Art and Culture, MFU, the event brought together academics, community representatives, youth, farmers, entrepreneurs, and the general public for a wide-ranging exchange on the overlapping environmental pressures facing the province.
The seminar was convened in direct response to the compounding environmental crises confronting Chiang Rai — challenges that cascade across water, air, food systems, and border community well-being. The province faces acute disruption to Mekong River flows caused by upstream dam operations in China, which destabilise river sediments and disorient fish breeding cycles, eroding both fish populations and the livelihoods of local fishing communities. Compounding this, severe air pollution — particularly fine particulate matter PM2.5 — driven by agricultural burning, forest fires, and cross-border haze, is intensified by Chiang Rai's basin geography, which traps pollutants and amplifies their impact on public health.
The seminar adopted a "Single Panel, Two Layers" format, structured as a flowing, moderated conversation. The first layer established a shared, evidence-based understanding of what is happening and why. The second layer then brought the human dimension into the room, centring the lived realities and direct testimonies of those most affected in four key issues.
The discussion was anchored by panellists representing four interconnected themes. On Air, Dr. Buntoon Srethasirote, a member of the Sub-Committee on Drafting the Clean Air Act, addressed PM2.5 pollution and the policy pathways toward cleaner air. On Water, Mr. Chaloemphan Kaewkanta, a lecturer in the Occupational Health and Safety Programme at the School of Health Sciences, Mae Fah Luang University, examined water resource challenges and contamination in the Kok River basin. On Food, Ms. Sirivimol Kitaphanich, founder of Rai Ruen Rom Organic Farm, and Mr. Pongsakorn Areesiripaisal, owner of LOCAL Coffee, shared perspectives on local food systems and resource sustainability. On People, Mr. Sattha Udomrit, a student representative from the MFU Human Rights Student Club, gave voice to youth concerns over long-term environmental decline and its impact on borderland communities.
A short documentary film, "Shadow of Contamination on the Kok River: Beyond the Lives of Farmers,” was screened during the event, offering a compelling portrait of how toxic contamination in the Kok River is reshaping the lives and livelihoods of farming communities in the region.
The event succeeded in bridging academic knowledge with the voices of affected communities, while fostering new connections between researchers, civil society organisations, local communities, and policymakers — a meaningful step toward building collaborative, region-wide responses to the Mekong Basin's environmental challenges.
Mae Fah Luang University remains committed to providing open, evidence-informed public platforms that connect research with community action on environmental issues affecting borderland communities across the Greater Mekong Subregion.
