Emerging costs of China’s belt and road strategy for transboundary water in south and southeast Asia

Abstract

China’s belt and road strategy is stretching across most of the globe and promises increased connectivity and economic development. The availability of Chinese finance and expertise has resulted in many countries eagerly participating in the strategy. An often-overlooked aspect of the belt and road is its impact on water resources, particularly transboundary rivers. This is significant as a number of the infrastructure projects undertaken through the initiative in south and southeast Asia that involve the region’s main transboundary rivers. Such projects have the ability to alter fluvial flows, which can result in negative social, environmental, and economic externalities downstream. Furthermore, China has introduced a new river basin management institution on the Mekong, which has the potential to shift governance away from the traditional institutions and actors. By looking at the geopolitics of the region, specifically, the role of ideational power, it is shown how these developments have the potential to bring both positive and negative impacts to the region. Therefore, there is a need for countries to carefully balance the potential for economic gains against the increasing costs to the environmental and regional politics.