River Commission Research Articles

Cooperation between reparian states on issues of utilization and protection of international watercourses with reference to activities of the Sava Commission

The paper analyses all forms of cooperation between states, which is essential when it comes to the matters of management, utilisation and protection of international watercourses. The most common way of cooperation is the establishment and action of international river commissions. Other forms of cooperation are manifested by holding of mutual consultations and providing notifications on relevant facts and circumstances for specific watercourse as well as by joint monitoring and evaluation of the conditions and data which are relevant for the prevention of causing damages to another state. In addition to the generalized presentation and analysis of the elements and forms of cooperation between countries on the matter of use and protection of international watercourses, the aim of the paper is to analyse the practical aspects of such cooperation, too. Therefore, the paper will analyse the work of the Sava Commission as an institutional framework within which the countries that signed the Framework Agreement for the Protection of the Sava River Basin cooperate with each other.

Knowledge leads, policy follows? Two speeds of collaboration in river basin management

The 21st century began as a period of increasing water scarcity, conflicts over shared water resources and major flood disasters. This context keeps the establishment of effective basin management on the top of the global water agenda. Capacity development in the field is often modelled on the experience of existing river commissions, such as the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine (ICPR), widely perceived as a reference for successful trust and knowledge-based collaboration. The relevance of knowledge in transboundary river basin management is uncontested, but its concrete function remains unclear. This pilot study investigates the influence of knowledge collaboration in internal working groups on ICPR development during the implementation of its milestone Rhine Action Programme, testing a phenomenological approach based on actor accounts. The results suggest that active stimulation of knowledge-based collaboration can lead to substantial influence on policy processes, but that the direction of such influence is ambiguous. Internal dynamics of the ICPR are likely to have assumed patterns of scale-dependent, cross-level interplay at the time. This has significant implications for capacity development, since such dynamics can both support and obstruct the development of effective resource management.

Korea's Development Cooperation with the Mekong Region

A regional cooperation project centered on a long river way passing through several nations, in addition to ensuring agreement between the nations involved, requires cooperation from the international community as a whole. This is because of potential conflict that may inevitably arise during the course of such a project; the types of conflict that the states get involved in may not be able to resolve on their own. The Mekong’s upper reaches is located in China, and five other developing nations of Southeast Asia are sharing its middle and downstream sections, which has made mutual agreement quite difficult. However, due to the high demand for development in the region, those involved have continued to adjust their positions accordingly and cooperate with each other in spite of the difficulties involved in developing the Mekong region. Support from multilateral development agencies and advanced nations have kept development moving forward up to this point, in terms of hardware infrastructure. Nations in the region have been active participants in the ADB-sponsored Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) program that began in 1992, which resulted in rapid buildup of physical infrastructure in the region. They are also cooperating through the Mekong River Commission (MRC) for projects to develop Mekong’s water resources, and also bolster human capital in the region through the Mekong Institute (MI). Connectivity between different regions around the Mekong have been strengthened recently; to promote the flow of goods, services, investments, capital and labor that would expedite development in the region.

Climate change impacts on agriculture and irrigation in the Lower Mekong Basin

According to hydrological simulations by the Mekong River Commission, average annual flow of the Mekong will not change significantly despite climate change. However, they projected increased variability in wet and dry season flows, which will tend to increase the flood and drought risks to crops. To learn the implications of climate change for rice farming in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB), a lower part of the Basin from China-Lao PDR border to the South China Sea, climate and hydrological figures related to rice production were compared in between the baseline in 1985–2000 and the climate change scenario in 2010–2050. Special attention was given to their 10 and 90 % exceedance values, which are rough equivalence of 10 and 90 % cumulative probabilities, to see changes in the frequency and extent of extreme weather events. Major findings of this study include the followings: (1) evapo-transpirations will increase in both average and 90 % cumulative probability values, raising irrigation demand. (2) Deviation of the annual rainfall will become larger, causing water shortage in reservoirs more frequently in the future. (3) The transplanting date of rain-fed rice will be delayed more likely due to insufficient precipitation in the early wet season, which may result in decreasing rice production. (4) Longer dry spells will be observed during the wet season, raising the drought risk to rain-fed rice. (5) These changes will be generally observed across the LMB, while the extent of the changes varies among regions.

IWRM in the United States: Integration in the Chesapeake Bay Program

In the United States, IWRM has been slow to catch on as a label. But for decades, the concept has been implemented in a variety of forms—from small, local projects to large, multi-state efforts—and under a variety of rubrics—from interstate river commissions to ecosystem-based management and “watershed approach.” As of 2012, there are hundreds (perhaps thousands) of IWRM-like initiatives under way in the United States; they are united by their focus on the river basin or watershed as a whole, their efforts to engage stakeholders and coordinate the activities of the agencies and jurisdictions operating within a watershed or river basin, and their emphasis on ecological restoration. It is unclear, however, whether and how these enterprises have improved either the process or the outcomes of water management. Therefore, this essay asks: how, and to what extent, has a commitment to the core principles of IWRM yielded genuine integration in water management, and with what consequences for the environment? To answer these questions, we examine the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP), which is often described as the nation’s premier watershed-scale management initiative. Based on journalistic accounts, in-depth interviews, and an extensive review of program documents, we conclude that the CBP has enhanced technical, institutional, and—to a lesser extent—sectoral integration in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Because the program has relied almost exclusively on voluntary cooperation among state partners and willing compliance by water users, however, implementation of collaboratively developed plans has been uneven and inadequate to meet the program’s goals. With neither the authority nor the resources to compel behavior changes, the CBP has been unable to alter the powerful and longstanding incentives facing program participants and stakeholders. As a consequence, despite nearly thirty years of integrated knowledge production and planning, the watershed has seen minimal ecological improvement. Keywords: IWRM, integration, water management, Chesapeake Bay Program.

Regional Cooperation and Integration in the Mekong Region

Over the past two decades, several regional cooperation programs were initiated by multilateral and bilateral donors to address concerns about the development gap in the Mekong subregion. Programs such as the Greater Mekong Subregion program of the Asian Development Bank and the Mekong–Japan Cooperation program focused first on improving physical connectivity through transport corridors, regional power development and grid connection, and telecommunications linkages, and were successful. However, as transport and trade facilitation became a priority, the weak institutional capacity of Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, and Vietnam resulted in a slow progress and is a major challenge to regional cooperation. Other challenges are the pressure on the use of Mekong water resources and the planned construction of mainstream dams, which could threaten the Mekong River Commission's role, the regional rivalry for energy sources, and the lack of attention to unskilled labor issues. The relations between Mekong regional cooperation programs and China are also a main issue to address if cooperation programs are not to become instruments of geopolitical rivalry.

Regional environmental security: cooperation and challenges in the Mekong subregion

Environmental challenges are often transnational and affect the daily lives of people as well as broader national interests. This research paper focuses on the challenge of finding a balance between economic development and environmental degradation in the Mekong subregion and assesses the role of regional institutions in dealing with this issue. Finding a balance is important, because more than 70 million people live on the river banks and the subregion is crucial for the economic development of its six riparian countries. Concentrating on two organizations – the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) – this article argues that regional attempts to find a balance have so far largely failed. Reasons for this lack of success include the MRC's failure to include all riparian countries, and the fact that the GMS has only recently widened its focus from economic development to also include environmental and social issues.

Simulation Models That I Encountered in the Mekong River Commission

Simulation Models That I Encountered in the Mekong River Commission

Dam Threatens Mekong Ecology

The News of the Week story “Megadam gets green light” (9 November, p. [726][1]) seems to provide strong support for the cautionary Letter by B. Gong et al. (“Limits to religious conservation efforts,” 9 November, p. [1740][2]) arguing that while Buddhism may be a powerful resource for conservation, it cannot replace strong environmental governance and policy. The Xayaburi Dam is a very bad idea and clearly represents a massive threat to the ecology of the Mekong River and its people. Yet it proceeds with the support of at least two predominantly Buddhist countries, Laos and Thailand, where protests by Buddhist citizens have gone unheeded ([ 1 ][3]). The environmental governance and policy offered by Laos and Thailand to support the dam is especially dangerous in that it sets a bad precedent that will most certainly affect the construction of at least 11 additional dams planned for the Mekong River ([ 2 ][4]). The decision to build the dam is based on a seriously flawed environmental impact assessment ([ 3 ][5]) and totally ignores an earlier agreement in 2011 ([ 4 ][6]) with Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam that would extend the decision-making process until major gaps in the current knowledge about the environmental and social impacts of the Xayaburi Dam are reconciled. When those knowledge gaps are filled with factual information, it will be abundantly clear that the Xayaburi dam should not be built. ![Figure][7] Mekong River. CREDIT: AP PHOTO/INTERNATIONAL RIVERS, PIAPORN DEETES 1. [↵][8] “Thai government supports Xayaburi Dam,” Bangkok Post, 11 June 2012. 2. [↵][9] 1. M. Osborne , Asia Pacific J. (11 January 2010); [www.japanfocus.org/-Milton-Osborne/3286][10]. 3. [↵][11] 1. G. R. Lanza , “Review of the Ch. Karnchang public company limited environmental impact assessment (EIA) report to the Mekong River Commission” (International Rivers, Berkeley, CA, 2011); [www.internationalrivers.org/files/attached-files/lanza\_water\_quality_final.pdf][12]. 4. [↵][13] Mekong River Commission, “Lower Mekong countries take prior consultation on Xayaburi project to ministerial level” (2011); [www.mrcmekong.org/news-and-events/news/lower-mekong-countries-take-prior-consultation-on-xayaburi-project-to-ministerial-level/][14]. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.338.6108.726-b [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/338/6114/1740.1.full [3]: #ref-1 [4]: #ref-2 [5]: #ref-3 [6]: #ref-4 [7]: pending:yes [8]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1 in text [9]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2 in text [10]: http://www.japanfocus.org/-Milton-Osborne/3286 [11]: #xref-ref-3-1 View reference 3 in text [12]: http://www.internationalrivers.org/files/attached-files/lanza_water_quality_final.pdf [13]: #xref-ref-4-1 View reference 4 in text [14]: http://www.mrcmekong.org/news-and-events/news/lower-mekong-countries-take-prior-consultation-on-xayaburi-project-to-ministerial-level/

A study of the climate change impacts on fluvial flood propagation in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta

Abstract. The present paper investigated the extent of the flood propagation in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta under different projected flood hydrographs, considering the 2000 flood event (the 20-yr return period event, T. V. H. Le et al., 2007) as the basis for computation. The analysis herein was done to demonstrate the particular complexity of the flood dynamics, which was simulated by the 1-D modelling system ISIS used by the Mekong River Commission. The floods of the year 2050 are simulated using a projected sea level rise of +30 cm. The future flood hydrograph changes at Kratie, Cambodia, were also applied for the upstream boundary condition by using an adjusted regional climate model. Two future flood hydrographs were applied at the upstream part of the delta, the first one in a scenario of climate change without considering developments in the Mekong Basin,and the second one in a scenario of climate change taking into account future development of the delta. Analyses were done to identify the areas sensitive to floods, considering the uncertainty of the projection of both the upstream and downstream boundary conditions. In addition, due to the rice-dominated culture in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta, possible impacts of floods on the rice-based farming systems were also analysed.

Understanding the impact of hydropower developments in the context of upstream–downstream relations in the Mekong river basin

Hydropower developments along the main stem of the Mekong River and its tributaries cause transboundary effects within the Mekong Basin Region, which comprises parts of six countries. On the one hand, the provision of hydropower triggers economic development and helps to meet the rising energy demand of the Mekong riparian countries, especially China, Thailand, and Vietnam. On the other hand, the negative impact of dam construction, mainly altered water flow and sediment load, has severe impacts on the environment and the livelihoods of the rural Mekong population. Several discrepancies exist in the needs, demands, and challenges of upstream versus downstream countries. Against the common apprehension that downstream countries are powerlessly exposed to mainly negative impacts whereas upstream countries unilaterally benefit from hydropower, the authors argue that upstream–downstream relations are not really clear-cut. This conclusion is based on a consideration of the complex power play between Mekong riparians, with a focus on recent power trade interactions. The article investigates the consequences of hydropower dams for the Mekong region as well as the role of supranational players, such as the Mekong River Commission and the Greater Mekong Subregion Initiative, on the hydropower debate. It is not nations that are the winners or losers in the hydropower schemes in the Mekong, but rather parts of the riparian population: a few influential and powerful elites versus the large mass of rural poor.

Adaptation in a transboundary river basin: Linking stressors and adaptive capacity within the Mekong River Commission

River basin organizations serve as potential forums to promote adaptation to environmental change in transboundary river basins. Yet how these organizations adapt is an understudied area of the literature. We explore and compare four examples of adaptation within the Mekong River Commission (MRC), focusing on how the nature of stressors shapes adaptation responses. We measure adaptation responses in terms of adaptive capacity, which includes technical, institutional, social and financial capacity. We find that the uncertainty of the impact of stressors plays a role in shaping the extent of adaptive capacity. We also find that the adaptive response may depend on a river basin organization's pre-existing capacity to address the stressor. Finally, our research suggests that investments in new capacity can create a feedback mechanism that helps reduce uncertainty and foster further adaptation.

Saving a river: a joint management approach to the Mekong River Basin

AbstractThe Mekong River Basin (MRB) is a trans-boundary river shared by six countries. The governance by the Mekong River Commission (MRC) of the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) is weak. This study investigates the welfare effects in the year 2030 arising from strengthening the MRC's governance versus joint management of the entire MRB. Without joint management, strengthening the MRC's governance has a huge potential to achieve welfare gains and it requires that the interests of all stakeholders be equally balanced. A bargaining approach shows that the LMB has no incentive to negotiate with China and is better off strengthening the MRC's governance instead. If such strengthening could be realized, further welfare gains of joint management by a wider and stronger MRC, including China, would be very small.

Enhancing capacities of riparian professionals to address and resolve transboundary issues in international river basins: experiences from the Lower Mekong River Basin

Abstract. This paper analyses the design and impact of capacity building programmes aimed at enhancing capacities of riparian professionals to address and resolve transboundary issues in international river basins. The case study is a programme developed by the Mekong River Commission (MRC). A post-training evaluation was applied to assess its impact in terms of individual capacity enhancement and change (use and application of knowledge, factors hampering application, and change in function and opportunities within the organisation). The design of the Capacity Building Programme of the MRC Flood Management and Mitigation Programme required a well balanced range of subjects (such as IWRM (integrated water resources management), model and decision support systems, and international water law). The post-training evaluation, 6 months after the last training workshop, showed an increase in familiarity with the topics for all 37 respondents, with the highest increase for the respondents with few years of working experience and from training and education institutions. The relevance of the subjects taught was highlighted by 95% of the respondents, and 78% of the participants had already used some of the acquired knowledge in their job. The respondents indicated that they did not have sufficient opportunities to apply all knowledge. The phased implementation and training of lecturers during the training workshops had a good impact, directly through increasing involvement in facilitation and delivery of the capacity building programme and through the use of the knowledge gained in short courses and development of curricula at their institute. For these types of capacity building programmes, a few recommendations can be made. The selection of participants is crucial for the application of the learned knowledge in their work. The integrative nature of transboundary water issues calls for a capacity building programme addressing a wide range of subjects, which can be understood by a wide range of professionals from different sectors. Training methods should also address this integrative nature through, e.g. roleplays and case studies. A successful capacity building programme needs to address the three levels of capacity building (enabling environment, organisations, and individual staff) and involve national and regional training and education institutes.

Scalar Disconnect: The Logic of Transboundary Water Governance in the Mekong

This article provides an institutional analysis of the Mekong River Commission and brings to light the institutional dissonances between regional and national decision-making landscapes in the Lower Mekong Basin. The current scalar disconnect between regional and national decision-making processes reflects how international donors and member country representatives obscure potential conflict/tension in transboundary water governance in the Mekong. From a scholarly perspective, it questions academic approaches that assume that the state is the sole or primary actor in international relations.

Water Quality: Assessment of the Current Situation in Asia

The uncontrolled release of sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural run-off continue to affect Asia. Although many Asian countries are getting closer to meeting the improved sanitation targets, much of the waste remains untreated. Comprehensive databases are rarely available and national data indicate that the water quality situation is serious. However, there are many signs of hope. Water quality monitoring efforts are improving and several countries now have systems in place that could guide other nations in the region. The efforts of basin agencies, such as the Mekong River Commission, could lead the way to transboundary or even regional assessments. Many regulatory and economic options are being tested for pollution control, but institutional and social challenges remain, in particular those related to population growth and the various ways in which it is affecting water quality across the region.

Mekong at the Crossroads: Next Steps for Impact Assessment of Large Dams

Mekong at the Crossroads: Next Steps for Impact Assessment of Large Dams

The River Commission and Sustainable Development of Shared Water Resources. Judgement of 20.4.2010, Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay (Argentina v. Uruguay)

The River Commission and Sustainable Development of Shared Water Resources. Judgement of 20.4.2010, Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay (Argentina v. Uruguay)

Data mining and stock assessment of fisheries resources in Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia

The potential of catch per unit effort (CPUE) analysis based on statistics of local fisheries in Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia was evaluated. The fishery statistics system was improved through a cooperative project conducted by the Department of Fisheries and the Mekong River Commission between 1994 and 2000, especially in the seven provinces adjacent to Tonle Sap Lake. However, the fisheries statistics were not effectively utilized for sustainable stock management. After the cooperative project, fish catch data sorted by species or species group were collected at the province level in the seven provinces. Another recent project also revealed the numbers of fishing gears that operated in the seven provinces. The CPUEs of ten species in Kampong Thom Province—including Channa micropeltes and Cirrhinus spp.—could be calculated from 1994 to 2007, because these are caught solely using bamboo fence systems or barrages. CPUE analysis clarified that stocks of high-price fishes such as Ch. micropeltes, Hampala spp., and Pangasius spp. have deteriorated while those of relatively low-price fishes such as Cirrhinus spp., Cirrhinus microlepis, Cyclocheilichthys enoplos, and Channa striata have increased in recent decades.

China-ASEAN Relations, April 2010 to September 2010: Chronology of Events

APRIL 2010 3rd The Joint Commission on Economic, Trade and Technical Cooperation between Indonesia and hold its 10th Session at Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Chinese Minister of Commerce Chen Deming and his counterpart, Indonesian Minister of Trade, Mari Elka Pangestu, jointly host the session. Indonesia and agree to implement the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) as scheduled and not postpone its application on 228 tariff posts as requested by Indonesian entrepreneurs. 5th During the Mekong River Commission Summit, makes a strong commitment for the first time to the five countries on the lower Mekong: Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. All countries should have a discussion before building dams that might damage the environment or harm people living along the river. The Summit endorses a declaration over four issues: a) food security, energy and hydropower development; b) climate change impact mitigation; c) infrastructure development; and d) increasing involvement of civil society stakeholders in planning activities and the decision-making processes. 5th Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Chinese Trade Minister Chen Deming meet at the State Palace in Jakarta. Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Hatta Rajasa, says that China will allocate more than USD15 billion [for investment] in the ASEAN region. For Indonesia, this will be prioritised on infrastructure and transportation. 9th A Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) is signed during the 16th Summit of ASEAN held at Hanoi. The DOC is an important document between the ASEAN and aimed at promoting trust-building and cooperation. The concerned parties pledged to observe and accelerate the implementation of the commitment. 13th President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao exchange congratulatory messages with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between their countries. Vice President Xi Jinping and his Indonesian counterpart Boediono also exchange congratulatory messages on the occasion. 16th The ASEAN-China Joint Working Group convenes a meeting on implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) in Hanoi. The two-day meeting underlines the significance of the DOC in order to develop trust and ensure peace, stability, security and cooperation in the region. 22nd-25th Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pays an official visit to Brunei, Indonesia and Myanmar at the invitations of the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Hassanal Bolkiah, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein. 27th An ASEAN-China Senior Officials' Consultation Meeting takes place in the central city of Hue, with the participation of assistant foreign ministers from the ten ASEAN countries and China. Vietnamese Assistant Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh and Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue co-chair the meeting which includes the ASEAN Deputy General Secretary. MAY 2010 4th Member countries of the ASEAN agree to jointly negotiate with on oil exploration projects in the resource-rich but hotly-contested Spratly Islands in the South Sea. During the ASEAN summit in Hanoi, members agree to negotiate as one body to avoid being placed in a weakened bargaining position with China. 17th Vietnamese Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh meets with visiting Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Ma Xiaotian, in Hanoi. At the meeting, Thanh welcomes the Chinese delegation, led by Ma to attend the Security Policy Conference of the ASEAN Regional Forum in Vietnam. 20th Taiwanese president Ma Ying Jeou says Taiwan will push for bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with the ASEAN member states once it has inked the Taiwan-China Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). …