Shared River, Shared Future: Interactive Workshop on Mekong River Development

The Stimson Center's Mekong Policy Project held an interactive workshop in Bangkok during July 17-19, 2011, focused on current plans for building hydropower dams on the mainstream of the Lower Mekong River.  The scenario-based workshop will be held with the assistance of Partnerships for International Strategies in Asia (PISA).  Role playing activities will examine the interests and drivers of these proposals, the potential national and regional environmental economic impacts and consequences for regional relations, and policy alternatives that could protect the river's natural functions while also meeting the development goals and needs of the Lower Mekong countries and their citizens.

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July 17, 2011 - July 19, 2011
Courtyard Marriott Hotel
Bangkok, Thailand

 

Participants Roadmap Statement

While not every participant agreed with every point, the participants of the Shared River, Shared Future conference developed a consensus on the following statement:

The Mekong river basin faces complex challenges at present and in the foreseeable future related to water resources management, sustainable economic development, preservation of ecosystem functions, food and energy security, livelihoods, and regional peace and stability. To address these challenges, all the participants of the Shared River, Shared Future workshop call for:

1) Creation and promotion of opportunities for dialogue among key stakeholders concerned with the development and conservation of the Mekong river basin including government agencies, private sectors, civil society, and local communities;

2) Development and utilization of effective mechanisms supported by adequate funding for building trust, leading to cooperation and collaborative decision making among the key stakeholders; and

3) Identification of synergies among various existing cooperation frameworks, including the Mekong River Commission, the Greater Mekong Sub-region, ASEAN-plus fora etc, to achieve an integrated and coordinated plan for sustainable development of the Mekong river basin.

Video

Planet Forward spoke with Dr. Richard Cronin about the Shared River Shared Future conference.

 

 

Workshop Description

The Stimson Center's Mekong Policy Project held an interactive workshop in Bangkok during July 17-19, 2011, focused on current plans for building hydropower dams on the mainstream of the Lower Mekong River.  The scenario-based workshop will be held with the assistance of Partnerships for International Strategies in Asia (PISA).  Role playing activities will examine the interests and drivers of these proposals, the potential national and regional environmental economic impacts and consequences for regional relations, and policy alternatives that could protect the river's natural functions while also meeting the development goals and needs of the Lower Mekong countries and their citizens.

Although numerous dams have already been built on tributaries of the Mekong, mainstream dams pose a significantly greater threat to the viability of one of the world's most productive freshwater fisheries and rice growing regions.  While considerable research has been conducted on the river's natural systems and fisheries, less concerted attention has been given to the long term social, political, or economic consequences of commercial projects to tap the significant hydropower potential of the mainstream.   

 

Context

The announcement by Lao PDR that it intends to move forward with construction of the 32 meter high Xayaboury dam has triggered the Mekong River Commission's (MRC) Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation, and Agreement (PNPCA).  This process was adopted as part of the 1995 Mekong Agreement that created the MRC to provide a venue for the four Lower Mekong Countries - Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam - to deliberate and ultimately reach agreement on infrastructure development plans that would affect the river's water or alter natural hydrology.  If the Lao government proceeds with the project without first gaining the agreement of the three other governments that comprise the MRC, serious questions will arise regarding the value and future of the PNPCA process and ultimately the 1995 Agreement establishing the MRC itself.

The first phase of the PNCPA process concluded on April 19, 2011, when Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam expressed concerns about the potential for negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts resulting from the project.  Laos has agreed to postpone the project allowing for further study, and the negotiations will continue at the ministerial level in Fall 2011.  An extensive study commissioned by the MRC and carried out by a number of internationally recognized scientific experts ultimately recommended a 10 year moratorium on all mainstream dam construction in the Lower Mekong.  The MRC published but did not endorse the report's recommendation.

 

Participation

This 2-day workshop provided a valuable opportunity for participants to broaden their understanding of the regional dynamics of mainstream dams, the benefits and challenges of regional cooperation, and alternative futures for the region's most important shared economic resource.  The workshop also provided an opportunity for participants to expand their professional networks across career fields and national boundaries.  Participants were drawn from government, international organizations, non-governmental organizations and other civil society, industry, the scientific community and academia.  The interactive exercises organized participants into mixed teams which will be tasked with roles and responsibilities for addressing different but interconnected elements of local, national, and regional river management and development policies. 

The 20 participants invited to the workshop hail from Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam and have a diverse range of professional backgrounds.  All have a deep interest and impressive experience working on the environmental, economic and human security challenges surrounding transboundary water use and infrastructure development.  The workshop sessions were informal, free flowing and off-the-record to maximize the potential to learn about current developments and their implications, and actively engage with a diverse group of participants on possible policy alternatives in a friendly and cooperative atmosphere.

To see a complete list of participants, click here.

 

Background Reading and Resources

Richard Cronin and Timothy Hamlin, Mekong Tipping Point, Stimson Center, April 2010

Philip Hirsch, China and the Cascading Geopolitics of Lower Mekong Dams, The Asia-Pacfic Journal Vol 9, Issue 20, No 2, May 16, 2011

Catch and Culture, Mekong River Commission, Vol. 14, No. 3, December 2008

ICEM, Strategic Environmental Assessment of Hydropower on the Mekong Mainstream Final Report, prepared for the Mekong River Commission, October 2010

Proposed Xayabouri Hydropower Project MRC's Prior Consultation Process, Mekong River Commission Website

Additional publications and resources can be found on Stimson's Mekong Policy Project homepage


Contact

For substantive questions, please contact the Program Director, Dr. Richard Cronin - rcronin@stimson.org

For logistics questions, please contact Ms. Nicole Dieker - ndieker@stimson.org

Follow the conversation on Twitter @SharedRiver