Water governance in the Mekong region: the role and impact of civil society organizations

ABSTRACT

The Mekong River Basin is facing growing challenges in managing water resources, environmental protection and sustainable development whilst fostering rapid economic development within a region of riparian states. The need for cheap and renewable energy is rising, fostering the increase in hydropower development where logistically possible. This case study focuses on what role and impact civil society organizations play regarding water governance in the Mekong region, particularly in regard to hydropower projects. A particular focus is on the Mekong River Commission and its Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement focusing on the Xayaburi and Pak Lay dams.

KEYWORDS:

• Civil society
• water governance
• hydropower dams
• Mekong river
• Southeast Asia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. The Mekong River is including the riparian countries of Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

2. Herewith Laos.

3. Further discussions and criticism on the PNPCA process focus on the limitation of the PNCPCA on mainstream dams only, with key tributaries also influencing the water flow and river ecosystem but currently not needing to go through the whole PNPCA process.

4. Overall, the efforts to manage the Mekong River are not restricted only to the Mekong River Commission; there are many other actors at play in the water management process. John Dore (Dore, 2014, p. 198) identifies numerous actors such as ‘men, women and youth of the region; political leaders (and followers) at all levels, water and energy planners, the people in river basin organizations and community-based water user associations, storage and delivery authorities, military, agricultural irrigators, energy generators, fishers, navigators, ecologists, urban, and rural dwellers, non-government organizations, financiers, external development partners, the media, water and policy research institutes, universities and networks’.