Dr Nguyen Cao Don currently is the Head of the Regional Flood and Drought Management Centre within the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat.

With an extensive career spanning over three decades, Dr Don possesses a wealth of expertise in the areas of water resources planning, management, flood control, and protection. Supporting the Director of the Technical Support Division, Dr Don leads the Centre’s multifaceted endeavours, encompassing the provision of river flood forecasts, execution of river flow monitoring activities, dissemination of flash flood guidance, and issuance of drought forecasts to MRC Member Countries and the public.

Prior to his tenure at the MRC Secretariat, Dr Don occupied pivotal roles in various academic and research institutions. Notable among these positions include his leadership as the Head of the Science and Technology Department at Thuyloi University, where he steered the Department of Water Resources Planning and Forecast at the Water Resources Institute. Furthermore, he served in a senior project management capacity at the Center for Water Resources Software. Dr Don’s international engagements include his tenure as a postdoctoral lecturer at Saga National University, Japan, and a research associate at the National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan.

Dr Don’s academic journey is marked by significant achievements. He obtained his Doctor of Engineering degree, specializing in Water Resources and Environment, from Saga National University, Japan, in 2001. Prior to this, he pursued a Master’s degree in Water Resources Management from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, in 1998, following his Bachelor’s degree in Hydraulic Structure Engineering from Thuyloi University, Viet Nam, in 1992. Noteworthy acknowledgments of his academic contributions include his appointments as an Associate Professor at both Saga (2007) and Thuyloi (2013) universities.

Beyond his institutional roles, Dr Don actively engages in scholarly editorial endeavours. He serves as an Associate Editor of the KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering (ISI) – a civil engineering journal publisher under Springer – and holes an editorial role at the Lowland Technology International Journal. Dr Don’s scholarly impact is underscored by his prolific publication record, with numerous high-impact articles featured in peer-reviewed journals, accessible through his ORCID profile at https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6920-7005.