Between interests and worldviews: The narrow path of the Mekong River Commission

Diana Suhardiman, Mark Giordano, Francois Molle 

GWSP Conference Water in the AnthropoceneBonn, Germany

21-24 May 2013

Structure of the presentation

• Mekong hydropower and planned mainstream dams

• The rationale behind the MRC Strategic Environmental Assessment

• SEA outcome and the (re)shaping of governance alliances

• Conclusions

Mekong hydropower

Mekong hydropower is developing rapidly:• 36 dams in operation in the Lower

Mekong Basin• 110 dams planned, under licensing

or under construction

Mekong hydropower

1 Pak Beng2 Luang Prabang 3 Xayabury4 Pak Lay 5 Sanakham 6 Pak Chom7 Ban Koum 8 Lat Sua9 Don Sahong 10 Thakho 11 Stung Treng 12 Sambor

Mekong hydropower

Mekong hydropower debate and the SEA• Increase government review and

ensure power supply• Social and environmental impacts• SEA as environmental

management tool

The MRC Strategic Environmental Assessment

The idea of Mekong mainstream dams dates back to 1957 

The revived in the 2000s• signing of regional power trade

agreement under the ADB GMS• emerging importance of private sector

actors• construction of a series of Chinese

dams on the Upper Mekong

The MRC Strategic Environmental Assessment

• MRC as an inter-governmental body• 1995 Mekong Agreement and the

MRC’s mandate to promote sustainble development

The MRC Strategic Environmental Assessment

The SEA was to overcome the weaknesses of the PNPCA• Regional impacts of individual

projects, not the cumulative impacts

• The SEA was to encourage member states’ compliance with the PNPCA

The MRC Strategic Environmental Assessment

MRC Organizational Structure

Council

Joint Committee

MRC Secretariat

National Mekong Committees

NMC Secretariats

SEA’s final findings and recommendation

“The recommendations of this SEA stem from recognition of the need for utmost caution in making development decisions when so much is at stake and when there are evident threats of serious and irreversible environmental, social, and economic damage from the proposed mainstream projects”

(ICEM report prepared for the MRC, 2010: 25)

SEA’s final findings and recommendation

The SEA followed a narrow path• assessment lacked any decision-

making authority• MRC cannot force its member

states to either notify or halt their development plans

The MRC SEA actual significance

• Conveyed international donors’ unified position and helped formalize their concerns

• Initiated an open discussion on the planned dams

• The SEA translated environmental ministries’ positions from the periphery to central decision-making stage and reshaped bureaucratic and political alliances at both national and transboundary level

Conclusions

• Scientific assessments can be politically maneuvered to shape governance alliances

• It can be used to democratize decision-making processes

Post-SEA development

• Laos’ decision to commence construction on the Xayabury dam

• What is the SEA’s potential significance?

Thank you for your attention

d.suhardiman@cgiar.org

Mekong River Watercolors by: http://maps.stamen.com/watercolor/