Abstract: "Twinning
Squares and Circles: the MDBC-MRC Strategic Liaison Program and the applicability
of the Murray-Darling Basin management model to the Mekong River Basin"
Complete Paper (pdf 701KB)
The Australian Mekong Resource Centre (AMRC) has produced the fifth in its
series of Working Papers. The aims of this Working Paper are to examine
the nature of the relationship between the Murray-Darling Basin Commission
(MDBC) and the Mekong River Committee (MRC), and to consider the applicability
of the Murray-Darling Basin management model to the Mekong River Basin.
The paper starts by considering catchment management models and their
functions of sharing expertise, transferring management strategies and
exchanging knowledge. The Murray-Darling and Mekong river basins are then
compared, noting significant differences despite some commonalities. Next
an Australian aid program for transferring management strategies and sharing
expertise - the MDBC-MRC Strategic Liaison Program - is discussed. This
is followed by a critical examination of the appropriateness of the Murray-Darling
model and various issues - political, cultural, legal, etc. - that arise
from technology transfer (in the broad sense) to the Mekong. An important
element in catchment management model transfer is the nature of community
engagement. This is problematic enough in the Murray-Darling Basin, but
enormously more complicated in the Mekong. In its conclusion the paper
expresses concerns about the sensitivity of the Australian model to taking
on board past mistakes and doubts the ability of the MRC to acquire, assimilate
and apply the Murray-Darling catchment management model effectively. It
also poses some questions for future research
© 2005 Australian Mekong Resource Centre |
