Environmental Criteria for Hydropower in the Mekong Region - WWF

The Current Status of Environmental Criteria for Hydropower Development in the Mekong Region: A litterature compilation
2. The Planning Context
This section sets the scene and historic context within which planning of hydropower
takes place in the region. It outlines the direction that water resources planning is
taking, influenced by the global trend towards a more integrated approach to basin
management (Section 2.1), and explores the driving forces behind hydropower
development within an increasingly regional and de-regulated environment (Section
2.2). In such a large and rapidly developing region, the range of interested
stakeholders is broad. Section 2.3 presents an outline of an approach for defining the
roles, responsibilities, concerns and mode of engagement of these stakeholders.
2.1 GMS and MRC Water Resources Management Context
2.1.1 GMS and MRC policies and strategies for water resources
management
Within the region, it must be recognized that hydropower is only one of a number of
purposes for which water is diverted or stored. By far the biggest user of water is
irrigation, although water supply for large urban centres is increasing. Water
resources did not feature as a separate focus area of the GMS program at the outset in
1992 partly due to the priority afforded to other sectors by its member countries, but
also in recognition of the existence of the Interim Mekong River Committee as the
organization to fulfill the water resource coordination function and reflect interests of
the LMB. This role was consolidated in 1995 with the inclusion of Cambodia and
establishment of the MRC through the signing of the MRC Agreement.
That does not mean that the main proponent of the GMS Economic Cooperation
Program, ADB, was absent from the water sector in the region. Over the past 30
years, ADB has provided considerable support for development and management of
water resources in the GMS member countries through its other regional and national
initiatives and sector specific investments and reforms in irrigation and drainage,
water supply and sanitation, and flood management. Formulation of ADB’s Water
Policy (ADB 2001) in the latter half of the 1990s, leading up to its adoption in 2001,
saw a parallel focus emerge to support national water policy development and
regulatory frameworks and promote the principles of IWRM that emerged in the early
1990’s starting with Dublin Principles. More recently, in 2002, IWRM was endorsed
by states at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in 2002 with a
commitment to prepare action plans for IWRM by 2005. 9 In line with this direction,
ADB has supported major efforts for establishment of cross-sectoral “apex bodies”
for water resources management both at national levels and for river basins within
member countries. 10
9 See WSSD Plan of Implementation, Article 26.
10 http://www.adb.org/Water/NWSAB/default.asp
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