Raising the Incentives for Intergovernmental Cooperation obstacle to a robust governance system that protects livelihoods is the incomplete representation of riparian governments in decision making about developments that influence the basin. During the period prior to 1975 when the US exercised a dominant on the Mekong Committee and its regional planning efforts, cooperation among influence the four states of the lower basin was encouraged explicitly to deter Chinese influence. Today, engaging China in some sort of formal intergovemmental body that includes all riparians must be seen as a priority for downstream nations, without China and Burma as members, the MRO's representation is incomplete and its authonty curtailed-shortcomings common to many international river basin accords around the world.