The challenge of regional governance is , therefore, more than a challenge of devising new legal regimes. In a context where no single authority acts as final arbiter or enforcer on matters of international justice and equity, legal agreements represent a crystallization and articulation of power relations at particular moments. They are, furthermore, meaningful only to the extent that there are groups prepared to apply their political leverage in upholding them. While there is no single-stroke solution to improving the representation of local livelihood interests in Mekong basin development decisions, incremental changes do matter. Diplomatic pressures that make cooperation more attractive for riparian governments, support for domestic civil society groups and their linkages in international advocacy networks, and policy reforms that increase the accountability of aid agencies and private developers across international borders are essential steps towards more equitable regional governance.