Projects > Mekong Water Governance

Mekong Water Governance

 

	National Interests and Transboundary Water Governance in the Mekong
	Executive Summary (pdf 367KB): (click here for Thai) (click here for Khmer) Main Report (pdf 1.32MB) Attachment 1: case studies (pdf 911KB) Attachment 2: key concepts (pdf 297KB) Attachment 3: law (pdf 2.34MB) Attachment 4: MRCS staffing data (pdf 343KB)
	Your response is invited.... The AMRC invites responses to this report which we will post to our website provided a sender's name and/or affiliation is supplied. If you wish to respond please email mekong@mail.usyd.edu.au Click here to access the response page.

This study comes at an important time for the Mekong River Commission (MRC) as many questions are being asked about what the MRC should, or should not be, in the future. Many questions have arisen out of donor concerns over the MRC’s recent strategic direction toward a greater role in investment facilitation. Uncertainty and apprehension about the MRC’s role in the Mekong has been simmering for many years, not least in civil society and non-government circles. This study takes the view that the current times constitute if not ‘the hour of destiny’ then crunch time for the MRC. There are real and difficult choices to be made for the organisation, its constituents and its donors.

The objective of this study is to develop an understanding of how the MRC and other water governance arrangements in the Mekong mediate transboundary, national government and civil society interests. Accordingly, this study seeks to identify ways to improve water governance in the Mekong, particularly in relation to the future role of the MRC.

This study arose out of a concern that donor assistance to the MRC’s capacity development was not taking the MRC forward as an engaged river basin organisation. The MRC’s knowledge base is impressive and the intentions of the 1995 Mekong Agreement are good. But why are they not used more proactively for Mekong water governance and regulation?

One important study hypothesis is that there is a lack of government interest in the MRC since national interests appear stronger than transboundary interests and countries are reluctant to give up sovereignty. Moreover, there is no strong sense of water crisis that might unite countries under a common cause.

An important premise for this study is that the MRC’s raison d’etre is to be an organisation that acts in the overall interest of sustainable development and environmental well-being of the river basin, over and above what countries do in their national interests. Another is that while the health of the river is the concern of international law and principles for sustainable development, national law and specific agreements – it is ultimately the political choices of riparian countries that will decide the fate of the river.

Duration: 2005 - 2006

Partners: Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Funding bodies: Danida (Danish International Development Assistance)

Inception Report (pdf 408KB)
Draft Report (pdf 1.07MB)

© 2005 Australian Mekong Resource Centre