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WATER DIPLOMACYTransboundary water diplomacyin the Mekong regionDr John Dore, Senior Regional Water Resources Sector Specialist, Australian Agency for International Development,Laos; and Dr Louis Lebel, Director, Unit for Social and Environmental Research, Chiang Mai University, ThailandWater resources lie at the heart of development inthe Mekong region – the territory, ecosystems,people, economies and politics of Cambodia, Laos,Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam and China’s Yunnan Provinceare home to about 260 million people. Future quality of lifein the region is strongly linked to the choices made aboutsharing, developing and managing water to produce foodand energy, maintain vital ecosystems and sustain livelihoods.Many water resource projects have been completed,are underway or are being planned. Dams, river diversions,inter-basin transfers, thirsty cities and irrigation expansionare all in the mix. While some projects have been celebrated,others are subject to disputes and protests. The transboundaryand interconnected nature of the Mekong’s waters addsa critical dimension.There are many rivers in the Mekong region, but the iconic MekongRiver is at the centre of current debates about water resource developmentin the wider region. It is the longest river in South-East Asiaand the eighth largest by flow volume in the world.Leaders of Mekong countries are aware that their countries’ destiniesare entwined. Those destinies will be partly shaped by theextension of increased cooperation into the realm of water resourcesdevelopment on the Mekong River and other transboundary riverssuch as the Irrawaddy, Salween and Red. The Mekong region’s waterscapesare being contested, demonstrating a confrontation of interestsand world views that are hard to reconcile despite a fresh rhetoricof trade-offs, benefit sharing and win-win solutions. Dams that are‘powering progress’ and publicly justified by reference to developmentaspirations and poverty alleviation might well, simultaneously,jeopardize food security and the livelihoods of the poorest.There is additional uncertainty from external forces that shapethe future of the region. For example, climate change is expectedto affect river flows and agricultural potential. Global economicgrowth and contraction will also influence the final outcome ofmany Mekong-made decisions. Dealing with uncertainty is the fateof most decision makers, not only those taking water resources decisions.Yet, because of the way it interconnects people’s livelihoodsand ecosystems, the complexity of water has particular importance.The interests of investors, officials in government agencies andsmall, local users of water such as fishers and farmers or distantcity dwellers needing energy, are visible – or not – dependingon how Mekong arenas are configured and controlled. There arevery different ways of valuing and prioritizing uses and users. Someprivilege flood protection and energy production services, others themeeting of farmer needs in the dry season and securingvaluable fisheries. Governments at various levels arethe main transboundary water governance actors in theMekong region. But, as elsewhere, there is a plethora ofothers jostling for space in decision-making arenas: nongovernmentorganizations, media, business, financiers,policy research institutes, universities and networks.Among these are the Mekong River Commission (MRC),M-POWER network and Save the Mekong coalition.MRC has a contested mandate – embodied in the 1995Mekong River Agreement – for the mainstream, tributariesand lands of the basin within the territories of the fourlower Mekong countries – Laos, Thailand, Cambodiaand Viet Nam. It also now includes the two upper countries– China and Myanmar – in some of its activitiesand outreach. Development partners and other cooperatinginstitutions also play a role in the MRC. This Mekongcooperation was originally catalysed through the UnitedNations and has more than 50 years of history. Article 1of the Agreement commits the four member countries tocooperate in all fields of sustainable development, utilization,management and conservation of the Mekong RiverBasin in fields such as irrigation, hydropower, navigation,flood control and fisheries.MRC is led by a governing Council at ministerial levelwhich meets once per year, and a Joint Committee (JC) ofsenior government officials which meets formally twiceper year and informally as the need arises. The Counciland JC are serviced by the MRC Secretariat (MRCS),which is responsible for implementing council and JCdecisions, advising and providing technical and administrativesupport. Although not specifically mentionedin the agreement, there are also National MekongCommittees (NMCs) established in each membercountry, set up differently in each country dependingon national government preferences. The heads of theNMCs represent their countries on the JC. NMCs areserviced by NMC Secretariats (NMCSs) and shouldprovide access to MRC issues by a range of line agencies.There is a political dynamic between each of thesefive parts – that is, there is no homogeneous singleMRC. Any joint position needs to be collectively negotiatedbetween the council and JC members. Moreover,the MRCS must also manage its working relationshipswith the NMCSs, which are quick to object if they feel[ 31 ]