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[Pages:30]Note: This is a sample report! The purpose of this sample report is solely to show the idea of how the report looks like. Please read the instructions (Guidelines: Project Assignment) on the course website on the details of the structure, setup and the contents of the project report. Main focus should be put on IWRM and the roadmap of IWRM.

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Mekong: a Contested Water Resource

Prospects and Challenges for a Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin

David Isaak and Anna Sax Kaijser Pluridisciplinary Perspectives on Development:

Natural Resource Management LUMID, Lund University 2007

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction

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1.1 Problem Definition

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1.2 Aim of Study

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1.3 Methods

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2. Background

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2.1 Brief history of the Mekong River Basin

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Pre-colonial and Colonial

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Forming of the Mekong Committee

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Cold War

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Forming of the Mekong River Commission

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2.2 Hydro-geographic Description of the Mekong River Catchment Area

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Boundaries

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Climate and Water Use

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Water Quality

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3. Today's conditions and needs

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Challenge 1: Dams

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Challenge 2: Urbanization

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3. Sustainability

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3.1 The Concept of Sustainability

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Dams as a challenge to sustainability

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Urbanization as a challenge to sustainability

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3.2 Interests and Influence of Different Stakeholders

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4. Solutions and Conclusions

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4.1 Solutions

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4.2 Conclusions

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References

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Literature

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Articles

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Internet sources

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Interview

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Lectures

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Figures and tables

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1. Introduction The Mekong River is the 12th largest river in the world (Sahai 2005:13). Passing through China, Myanmar, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Thailand and Cambodia on its way to the South China Sea, it has for centuries been a source of livelihood as well as a source of conflict. The Mekong mainstream and its tributaries is of great importance to the inhabitants in the river basin, who need the water for irrigation and fishing. At the same time, it provides opportunities for commercial navigation and the generation of hydropower to supply the region with electricity. Many stakeholders compete for the use of the water resources and activities on one part of the river inevitably change the conditions downstream. This, combined with a history of political instability and coupled with increasing urbanization and population growth, has made the river a contested resource. In this study, after a brief description of the region's hydro-geography and its historical background, two of the main current challenges to a sustainable development of the Mekong River basin will be presented and analyzed. Ultimately, some ideas for actions to enhance the prospects for a sustainable development will be listed. The study rests on the assumption that the conflicts are not a result of a physical lack of water, but relates to issues of governance, management and a will for cooperation.

1.1 Problem Definition Concerns related to access to and scarcity of fresh water have climbed high on the international development agenda. As stated in the United Nations' second World Water Development Report, there is not a physical lack of water in the world. Regional water scarcity is a result of inadequate governance and resource management connected to socio-economic issues (UNESCO 2006:3, see also de Villiers 1999:19). In the Mekong River basin, the mainstream river and its tributaries provide water in rich amounts. Still, there is conflict and anxiety regarding the use of the water.

In this study, the problems related to the Mekong River will be addressed mainly as matters of governance. Here, governance is understood as the private and public institutional means to practice social, economic and political power. There are different levels to exercise governance, including the state, market and civil society (Desai 2002:

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491). A lack of cooperation and harmonization between local and foreign actors, coupled with the absence of a strong regional authority to function as a forum for different actors and a body to create binding agreements regarding the use of the river have put obstacles in the path to a sustainable development (Lacoursi?re 2007). The analysis of the region's main challenges and the suggestions for possible solutions presented in the last section of the study will therefore focus on the issue of governance.

1.2 Aim of Study This study aims to draw a background picture of the Mekong River basin and discuss its major challenges in relation to different aspects of sustainable development and with regard to different stakeholders. The issue of governance will provide a framework for the analysis. A list of actions that may improve the region's prospects for a sustainable development will be presented in the last chapter. The intention of the study is to enhance the understanding of the Mekong region from a wider perspective.

1.3 Methods The secondary data for The Indochina Water Dragon: the sustainable future of the Mekong river basin is drawn from scholarly papers, books, reports, statistics, lectures, and Internet pages. The breadth of sources is advantageous to the reduction of biases of the development academic by providing as many different perspectives as possible (Chambers 1983). Statistics used from the United Nations Development report were used to find the change in urban development from 1975 to 2004 with simple mathematical equations. Furthermore, the analysis of stakeholders in the basin is based on a previously completed chart on stakeholder importance that was then modified for our specific study.

The primary qualitative data collection consisted of one interview with an expert on sustainability in the Mekong Region. Professor Jean Lacousi?re, Ph.D., is the former chief of the Environment Unit of the Mekong River Commission (1999-2000) and is currently launching a project on the protection of the Mekong's wetlands. The interview was held in a private room with two interviewers ? one responsible for questioning and

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the other responsible for typing notes on a computer. It was not audibly recorded. The interview was semi-structured, allowing for flexibility and follow-up on responses while still building on predetermined questions (Willis 2006:144). The questions asked to Professor Lacousi?re related to his area of expertise as well as the general sustainability issues in the Mekong River basin. The dialogue lasted for 1.5 hours. Figure 1: Map of Catchment

(URL 12) 6

2. Background This section draws a background picture of the history and hydro-geography of the Mekong River basin, in order to create an understanding of the origins of the current conflicts and challenges to the area.

2.1 Brief history of the Mekong River Basin

Pre-colonial and Colonial The Mekong River has for centuries been important for the livelihoods of the inhabitants in the river basin, who have used its waters for irrigation, fishing and navigation. During the colonial era, the river basin became a source of conflict as the colonial powers France and Great Britain both aspired to control it. Eventually, the French gained command over the river delta and introduced their models of water management in the area. However, it was not until later that the exploitation of the river really took off (Nguyen 1999:xii-xv).

Forming of the Mekong Committee In the years after the Second World War, the area previously known as French Indochina gained independence from the colonial power. This was an era during which a number of regional and international organizations were formed. In 1947, the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) founded ECAFE, an economic commission for Asia and the Far East that was to supervise the economic reconstruction of the countries in the area. One focus of the ECAFE was on different aspects of water, such as flood control and irrigation, and the commission suggested projects in this area (Nguyen 1999:49-53). In 1957, the Mekong Committee (involving Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam) was formed. The committee aimed for "integrated development through regional cooperation" (Sahai 2005:160).

Cold War During the Cold War, the division of the world in East and West led to a rivalry between the blocs, where they competed to influence the Third World countries ? in desperate

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need of development aid ? in their specific political direction. These tendencies greatly affected the countries in the Mekong region, not least through the intervention by the United States, striving to end the spread of communism in the region. The political tensions eventually led to the Vietnam War (Nguyen 1999:xv, 98).

In 1975, after the Vietnam War ended, the four countries in the Mekong Committee signed the "Joint Declaration of Principles for Utilization of the Waters of the Lower Mekong Basin". It declared that the mainstream waters are a resource of common interest and that each country's use of the water has to be approved by the other countries. But new conflicts aroused in the region. In 1977, Cambodia, under the rule of the Khmer Rouge, withdrew from the Mekong Committee. Since the Committee built on consensus, this meant that it lost its decision-making capacity. In order not to become totally powerless, in 1978 the three remaining countries formed the Interim Mekong Committee, with limited capacity for governance (Nguyen 1999:199-201).

Forming of the Mekong River Commission After the Vietnam War, the US influenced their allies and the World Bank to cut down development aid to Vietnam, Lao PDR and Cambodia, forcing them to rely on Soviet aid. After the fall of the Soviet Empire, there was a new, different political development in the area, with peace and increased stability. In 1994, Cambodia re-joined the Mekong Committee. However, in 1995 the Committee was replaced by the Mekong River Commission (MRC), which was established through the ratification of the "Agreement on the Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin". This agreement does not have any binding clauses concerning the use of the Mekong's resources, and does not require that all the other countries approve of new projects, only that they are informed about them (Nguyen 1999:200-205). Even though the power of the MRC may be limited, its creation marked a new beginning for cooperation between the countries in the region. The Commission's main areas of interest are agriculture, fishing, navigation and flood control (Sahai 2005:169).

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