The recent navigation accord, controversies over the downstream consequences of the Yali
Falls Dam, and the unwillingness of the Chinese and Thai governments to submit their dam
development projects to regional review have this in common: they each point to
inadequacies in current arrangements for deciding on development schemes in the basin
with significant trans-boundary effects. It is easy to fault the Mekong River Commission for
failing to ensure that such schemes face region-wide deliberation and for failing to
safeguard affected groups downstream. But it would be a serious mistake to focus
exclusively on the performance of the MRC without regard for the broader context in which
this institution exists. The challenges of regional governance concern not one institution but
the full network of social and political relationships that determine whose interests are represented in such decisions, how power is distributed among these groups, and what
mechanisms of accountability constrain the exercise of this power. In this section, I argue
for the importance of three factors in strengthening the framework for regional governance
over resources of the Mekong basin. These factors are the ability of governments and
non-state actors to raise the incentives for regional cooperation, the expansion of channels
for direct engagement by subnational stakeholders and civil society organizations, and
improvement in mechanisms for cross-border accountability.
The recent navigation accord, controversies over the downstream consequences of the YaliFalls Dam, and the unwillingness of the Chinese and Thai governments to submit their damdevelopment projects to regional review have this in common: they each point toinadequacies in current arrangements for deciding on development schemes in the basinwith significant trans-boundary effects. It is easy to fault the Mekong River Commission forfailing to ensure that such schemes face region-wide deliberation and for failing tosafeguard affected groups downstream. But it would be a serious mistake to focusexclusively on the performance of the MRC without regard for the broader context in whichthis institution exists. The challenges of regional governance concern not one institution butthe full network of social and political relationships that determine whose interests are represented in such decisions, how power is distributed among these groups, and whatmechanisms of accountability constrain the exercise of this power. In this section, I arguefor the importance of three factors in strengthening the framework for regional governanceover resources of the Mekong basin. These factors are the ability of governments andnon-state actors to raise the incentives for regional cooperation, the expansion of channelsfor direct engagement by subnational stakeholders and civil society organizations, andimprovement in mechanisms for cross-border accountability.
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