SBR- Content.pmd - INBO

State of the Basin Report - 2003Within the Mekong River Basin, buildingcooperation is particularly challenging.Extensive development is required to raisethe standard of living of the people, whichmeans that there is the possibility of intensecompetition for resources, both natural andeconomic, if development is not carefullymanaged. The countries that share the basinhave profound differences in their political,economic and social systems. Some havelong histories of political conflict, and thepast ten years represent the only time inrecent history that all have been at peace.Barriers to stop sea water intrusion may prevent fishmoving between the river and sea2. Beginnings of cooperation – the Mekong Committee 1Formal cooperation commenced relativelyearly in the Mekong Basin. In 1957 theCommittee for Coordination of theInvestigation of the Lower Mekong Basin,known as “The Mekong Committee” wasestablished. Members were Cambodia, LaoPDR, Thailand and Viet Nam, and the agencywas set up with the assistance of ECAFE, theEconomic Commission for Asia and the FarEast (now called ESCAP, the United NationsEconomic and Social Commission for Asiaand the Pacific).In the era of post-World War II reconstruction,the plan was to develop one of the world’s great‘untamed’ rivers, and the ‘Mekong Project’ wasECAFE and the Mekong Committee undertookextensive studies in the lower basinthe largest single project undertaken by ECAFE. In 1965, U Thant, Secretary General of the UnitedNations, described it as “…one of the most important and one of the most significant actions everundertaken by the United Nations”.The founding statute establishing the Mekong Committee was itself groundbreaking. Nointernational river body had previously been given such a broad mandate. It includedresponsibilities for financing, construction, management andmaintenance of projects on the river.Mekong Committee logoUnder the auspices of ECAFE and the Mekong Committee, a seriesof surveys were conducted to “gather sufficient data to permitadequate planning” for development of the Mekong. Surveys ofthe basin’s geology, hydrology, meteorology, topography,sedimentation, fisheries, agriculture and navigation were completedin the 1950s and 1960s. This led to the development of the MekongCommittee’s Indicative Basin Plan in 1970, which identified 180potential projects worth an estimated $12,000 million.284