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TRANSBOUNDARY WATER MANAGEMENTThe MRC Secretariat is overseeing the implementation of thestrategy, working with national line agencies, river basin organizationsand others. The third phase of BDP programme leadsthe work on addressing the avoidance and mitigation of adverseimpacts of water resources development and exploring a mechanismfor sharing the transboundary benefits, impacts and risks ofcurrent and planned developments.The implementation of the Basin Action Plan by MRC Programmesand national agencies provides a common direction for greater alignmentbetween regional and national planning, and the opportunityto decentralize the core river basin management function activitiesthat can be better implemented at the national level. Knowledgegaps are reducing, which will enrich the next update of the BasinDevelopment Strategy and enable MRC to better undertake itsmission to promote and coordinate sustainable development andmanagement of the basin’s water and related resources.Many of the central elements of the Basin Development Strategywill remain relevant in the next planning cycle (2016-2020).Stakeholder consultations indicate opportunities to broaden thescope of the strategy in line with commitments of MRC countries toenhance regional integration. MRC’s ongoing analysis of current andfuture options for regional benefit sharing will provide useful inputsin this regard. The updated strategy will also more clearly identifythe basin’s development opportunities, with a view to attractingfunding for priority projects.The Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation andAgreement (PNPCA) were developed to address the issue ofkeeping tabs on the new projects using the basin’s water. For wateruse in the tributaries, the proponent country is required to notifythe other countries of its proposed use. For water use on the mainstream in the dry season, the proponent country is also requestedto initiate a prior consultation which aims to identify concernswith respect to impacts on neighbouring countries andreach agreement on how these can be avoided, minimizedor mitigated.Although over 40 projects on the tributaries havebeen notified, the first to go through a prior consultationwas the mainstream Xayaburi HydropowerProject proposed by Lao PDR in 2010. This triggereda process of sharing information and discussions aboutthe potential impact the project may have on otherriparian countries. In the six-month consultation,facilitated by the MRC Secretariat, the downstreamcountries of Cambodia and Viet Nam expressedconcern over the uncertainty of impacts and proposedthat further studies were undertaken before the projectwent ahead. At a final meeting in April 2011 the countriesdid not reach an agreement on measures to avoid,minimize and mitigate impacts (as was envisioned inthe PNPCA), but neither did the member countriesagree on whether the process was to be extended. Theissue was referred to the MRC Council (the highestlevel in the MRC cooperation), which agreed thatfurther studies were needed on the sustainable developmentof the Mekong, but did not address the issueof completing the PNPCA process.During 2012 and continuing in 2013, the LaoGovernment engaged international consultants to assistin addressing the concerns expressed by the other ripariancountries and made several modifications to thedesign to reduce the impacts on sediment transport,fish migration, dam safety and navigation locks. In late2012, it decided to go ahead with the project. Althoughthe process did not proceed as envisaged in the PNPCAImage: MRCImage: MRCThe Basin Action Plan provides a common direction for greater alignment betweenregional and national planningMRC provides a practical framework for its member countries tocooperate in developing the basin’s resources[ 72 ]