Socio-Hydrological Modelling of Cooperation and Conflict in the Transboundary Lancang-Mekong River

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
You Lu ◽  
Iolanda Borzi ◽  
Liying Guo ◽  
Repush Patil ◽  
Yujie Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Mekong River ◽  
Benefit Sharing ◽  
Mekong River Basin ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
Transboundary River ◽  
The Past ◽  
Transboundary River Basin ◽  
Operation Rules ◽  
Dam Operation

<p>The transboundary Lancang-Mekong River Basin has experienced both cooperation and conflict over the past several decades. Downstream countries (Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam) rely on Mekong River for fisheries and agriculture, while upstream countries including China and Laos have been constructing dams to generate hydropower. The construction and operation of dams in upstream countries has changed the seasonality of streamflow in downstream countries, affecting their agriculture and fishery benefits. More recently, cooperation between upstream and downstream countries has led to benefit sharing and improved international relations throughout the river basin. In this presentation, we introduce a socio-hydrological model that simulates the hydrological changes in downstream countries resulting from upstream dam operation, based on collection of hydrological, economic and social data in Lancang-Mekong river basin. Our model captures the cooperation and conflict feedback loops which impacts the operation rules of upstream dams. In this way, our study generates understanding of the connections between water resources management and hydro-political dynamics underpinning cooperation and conflicts mechanism in this transboundary river basin.</p>

scholarly journals Water-Energy-Food Nexus in a Transboundary River Basin: The Case of Tonle Sap Lake, Mekong River Basin

Water ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 5416-5436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marko Keskinen ◽  
Paradis Someth ◽  
Aura Salmivaara ◽  
Matti Kummu
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Mekong River ◽  
Mekong River Basin ◽  
Transboundary River ◽  
Transboundary River Basin ◽  
Tonle Sap Lake ◽  
Tonle Sap

scholarly journals Socio-hydrologic modeling of the dynamics of cooperation in the transboundary Lancang–Mekong River

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 1883-1903
Author(s):  
You Lu ◽  
Fuqiang Tian ◽  
Liying Guo ◽  
Iolanda Borzì ◽  
Rupesh Patil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Hydrological Model ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Mekong River ◽  
Reservoir Operations ◽  
Mekong River Basin ◽  
The Past ◽  
Transboundary River Basin ◽  
Hydrological Variability ◽  
New Framework

Abstract. The transboundary Lancang–Mekong River basin has experienced dynamics of cooperation over the past several decades, which is a common emergent response in transboundary coupled human–water systems. Downstream countries rely on the Mekong River for fisheries, agriculture, navigation and ecological services, while upstream countries have been constructing dams to generate hydropower. The dam construction and operation in upstream countries have changed the seasonality of streamflow in downstream countries, affecting their economic benefits. More recently, cooperation between upstream and downstream countries has been enhanced throughout the river basin. In this study, we introduce a quantitative socio-hydrological model to simulate hydrological processes, reservoir operations, economic benefits, policy feedbacks and therefore dynamics of cooperation within the Lancang–Mekong River basin. The model reproduces the observed dynamics of cooperation in the basin revealed by sentiment analysis of news articles. Hydrological variability such as droughts and human activities associated with reservoir operations affect dynamics of cooperation between the riparian countries, with importance attached to indirect political benefits of upstream playing an important role in the enhancement of cooperation. In this way, our study generated understanding of emergent cooperation dynamics in this transboundary river basin, and the socio-hydrological model used here provides a useful new framework to investigate and improve transboundary water management elsewhere.

scholarly journals Socio-Hydrologic Modeling of the Dynamics of Cooperation in the Transboundary Lancang-Mekong River

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
You Lu ◽  
Fuqiang Tian ◽  
Liying Guo ◽  
Iolanda Borzi ◽  
Rupesh Patil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Hydrological Model ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Mekong River ◽  
Reservoir Operations ◽  
Mekong River Basin ◽  
The Past ◽  
Transboundary River Basin ◽  
Hydrological Variability ◽  
New Framework

Abstract. The transboundary Lancang-Mekong River Basin has experienced dynamics of cooperation over the past several decades, which is a common emergent response in transboundary human-water systems. Downstream countries rely on Mekong River for fisheries, agriculture, etc., while upstream countries have been constructing dams to generate hydropower. The dam construction and operation in upstream countries have changed the seasonality of streamflow in downstream countries, affecting their economic benefits. More recently, cooperation between upstream and downstream countries has been enhanced throughout the river basin. In this study, we introduce a quantitative socio-hydrological model to simulate hydrological processes, reservoir operations, economic benefits, policy feedbacks and therefore dynamics of cooperation within the Lancang-Mekong River basin. The model reproduces the observed dynamics of cooperation in the basin revealed by sentiment analysis of news articles. Hydrological variability such as droughts and human activities associated with reservoir operations affect dynamics of cooperation between the riparian countries, with importance attached to indirect political benefits of upstream playing an important role in the enhancement of cooperation. In this way, our study generated understanding of emergent cooperation dynamics in this transboundary river basin, and the socio-hydrological model used here provides a useful new framework to investigate and improve transboundary water management elsewhere.

scholarly journals Transboundary River Basin Governance: A Case of the Mekong River Basin

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mak Sithirith
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Mekong River ◽  
Mekong River Basin ◽  
Transboundary River ◽  
Conflict And Cooperation ◽  
Transboundary River Basin ◽  
Hydropower Dams ◽  
Rise Of China ◽  
Chinese Company ◽  
The Rise Of China

Conflict and cooperation are key governance challenges in transboundary river basin governance, especially in the Mekong River Basin. Hydropower dams have been at the center of such a conflict and cooperation that are useful metrics to assess the level and intensity of conflict and cooperation in transboundary river basin governance. This study examines transboundary river basin cooperation in the Mekong through the lens of hydropower dam projects. It uses a literature review and a case study of the Lower Sasan 2 (LS2) Dam to analyze the conflict and cooperation in the Mekong region, from the era of the US influence in the Cold War, the post-Cold War period, and the present-day with the rise of China. It concludes that Mekong river basin cooperation has evolved as a result of external influences and internal competition by riparian states over Mekong resources. The LS2 was identified in 1961 by US-supported hydropower studies and then by the GMS/ADB in 1998, but left unattended until 2007 when Vietnam signed an agreement with Cambodia to undertake a feasibility study in 2008. It took 16 years to get the LS2 built by a Chinese company in 2014 and completed it in 2017. Through the process, the states, powerful external actors, financial institutions, and private sector actors have politicized the LS2 studies, design, and construction. Cambodia, as a weak downstream state, has had to and must continue to position itself strategically in its relationships with these hydro-hegemons to compete for hydropower dam projects and protect its interests. The rise of China has induced the changing relationship between riparian states. Many hydropower dams were built with Chinese funding. Cambodia has also enjoyed its close ties with China, and the building of the LS2 dam by a Chinese company contributes to changing its positions in the Mekong cooperation but suffers environmental and social impacts.

scholarly journals Integrated Approach for Sustainable Hydropower Development in the Mekong River Basin

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pham Ngoc Bao ◽  
Bijon Kumer Mitra ◽  
Tetsuo Kuyama
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Current Trend ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Mekong River ◽  
Benefit Sharing ◽  
Hydropower Development ◽  
Mekong River Basin ◽  
Full Member ◽  
Trade Offs

This paper analyses roles of integrated approach to establish a regional mechanism for sustainable hydropower development in the Mekong River Basin. Based on a critical review of the current trend of hydropower development, it argued that existing approach of uncoordinated Mekong mainstream hydropower development cannot ensure sustainable development; rather it causes negative impacts on food security, livelihoods, biodiversity, and ecosystem across the river basin, especially countries in Lower Mekong Basin (LMB), including Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. As a result, it fails to bring positive net benefits at both national and regional level. Specifically, if all proposed mainstream dams are constructed and fully operated, Lao PDR is the only economically winner of billions USD after 20 years, while Thailand, Cambodia, and Viet Nam are losers, and total net value will be minus 275 billion USD. Early recognition of the “nexus” interactions amongst hydropower development and cross-border food security, water security and livelihoods can minimise the risk of diplomatic conflicts and social unrest, and is only enabled when member states are willing to divert high-level government priorities from national interests to transboundary interests, as implementing the nexus approach throughout the river basin could contribute to reducing trade-offs between hydropower development and basin-wide socio-economy, and increase synergies through implementation of benefit-sharing mechanisms towards a win-win outcome. It recommends strengthening the Mekong River Commission via bolstered resources and coordinating authority, and encourages China to participate as a full member. It also argues that transboundary Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) of river projects should be conducted to reflect the synergic and trade-off nexus effect across the whole river basin.

scholarly journals Cooperation in the Mekong River Basin through Benefit Sharing

2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 275-310
Author(s):  
이승호 ◽  
Seungkyung Lee
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Mekong River ◽  
Benefit Sharing ◽  
Mekong River Basin
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