Post-Covid-19 Economic Recovery in the Mekong Region

In this issue of the Mekong Connect Magazine, we look into the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating effects on the economies of the Mekong countries. While the pandemic has hampered health security in the Mekong countries, many main sectors of their economies, such as trade and regional supply chains, tourism, agriculture, finance, real estate, manufacturing and service sectors, have experienced major disruptions, leading to closure of businesses, retrenchment and laying off, and breakdown of domestic industries.

This issue analyses the changing dynamic of the region as the consequence of COVID-19 and the economic recession. It also discusses policy responses to the pandemic and recovery plan, including the attention to global production and supply chain networks, digital transformation, economic reopening, vaccine rollouts, and social protection for vulnerable groups.

This publication collects intellectual insights from researchers and scholars from inside and outside the Mekong region. The extent of social and economic losses from the prolonged pandemic has been discussed, and the contributing scholars have offered some practical insights and policy recommendations for post-COVID-19 economic recovery. In addition to the policy suggestions offered in this Issue, we encourage more robust debates and studies to provide more enriched analysis.

We would like to acknowledge the intellectual contributions of the following authors: Professor Prema-chandra Athukorala, Ambassador Christian Berger and Dr Stefan Hanselmann, Dr Wee Chian Koh, Ms. Isabel Weininger and Ms. Likhedy Touch, Ms. Amphaphone Sayasenh and Mr. Alounsana Chandara, Ms. Setthikun Sun, Dr Lwin Lwin Aung, and Dr Huy Quynh Nguyen.