A systematic investigation of flood resilience measures in the Mekong River Basin

The Mekong River has encountered severe flooding challenges due to increasingly extreme weather conditions. Despite these challenges, residents of the Mekong River Basin (MRB) have developed and demonstrated remarkable flood resilience in various ways, enabling a dynamic and thriving socio-economic system in the flood-prone environment. This study presents a systematic review and meta-analysis based on 460 search results from Scopus and Web of Science datasets, covering literature from 1999 to 2024, focused on the MRB. The review aims to investigate the measures developed by people in the MRB to improve their flood resilience, as determined through a comprehensive scoping review of peer-reviewed literature. The review revealed the following findings: (1) A total of 85 measures were identified and categorized into nine measure groups and three approaches based on their characters, (2) statistical analysis indicates a rising trend in stakeholder cooperation, with over 66 % of the total mentioned measures involving coordinated approaches rather than being strictly top-down or bottom-up, (3) infrastructure and engineering investments, as well as advancements in agricultural technology, were the dominant measures observed across Mekong River Basin countries, and (4) a Venn diagram illustrates overlapping measures applied across various countries, with Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand contributing significant efforts to improving flood resilience. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers and researchers into the flood resilience situation within the region, supporting the development of effective future flood management frameworks and research approaches.