Transboundary Issues of Water Governance in Mekong River Basin

摘要

Transboundary water rights are usually revered in the international political arena as it often results in a myriad of conflicts. The Mekong, an international river, flows through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Each of these basin countries has its own opinion, philosophy, and interests resulting in complex hydropolitics in the region. This has resulted in intense and acute water allocation, uses, and quality as well as social and environmental conflicts. In order to settle these conflicts amicably and to cooperate and exchange the information among constituent countries, three regional organizations, namely, Mekong River Commission (MRC), Greater Mekong Sub-region Program (GMS), and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are established. The purpose of these organizations is to meet the drinking water, food, energy, and other requirements as well as to support other economic activities in the basin on a sustainable basis. The changing flow pattern in the Mekong River has resulted in reshaping the societies and has added further pressure on natural resources on a regional basis. For example, the development and consequences of hydropower in the upper Mekong Basin have led to conflicts among Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam for agriculture, drinking water, and environmental flows. This has resulted in the civil unrest and violence in the region. Keeping these in mind, the present study highlights the complexities of water governance in the Mekong River Basin. It outlines the geography and the regional, political, economic, and environmental settings of the basin. It further explores the issues of sustainable development and briefly describes the opportunities to better utilize the available resources with an underlying philosophy of mutual co-operation, goodwill, and friendship.