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[2G202] The Mekong River Commission’s Role in Managing Tensions and Preventing Conflicts through Water Diplomacy for Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Chinese Dam Construction on the Upper Mekong River (2010-2016) for Human Security in the Mekong River Basin
Keywords:Water Diplomacy, Mekong River Commission, Hydropower Development, China, Sustainable Development, Human Security, Mekong River Basin
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) has become a pivotal institution for promoting cooperation and managing tensions among riparian states in the Mekong River Basin (MRB) with China having significant influence due to its control of the river’s headwaters and infrastructure developments. This paper explores the question: How has the MRC contributed to managing tensions and preventing conflicts over shared water resources in the MRB?
Using a qualitative approach, the paper combines theoretical analysis, institutional review of the MRC, and a focused case study on China’s dam construction on the Upper Mekong River from 2010 to 2016. It relies on academic literature, MRC documents, and reports on regional water management to analyze the MRC’s role and effectiveness in water diplomacy.
The paper finds that the MRC plays a significant role in managing short-term tensions and potential conflicts in the MRB through water diplomacy. It does this by leveraging scientific knowledge, fostering political engagement, facilitating dialogue, and promoting cooperative actions via legal, institutional, and strategic mechanisms, particularly in the face of increasing upstream development and climate change challenges.
However, the MRC faces significant limitations. These include the exclusion of China and Myanmar as full members and the lack of binding enforcement mechanisms, which weaken its ability to prevent long-term conflicts. The case study of Chinese dam construction shows both the MRC’s ability to manage tensions through water diplomacy and the ongoing challenges it faces in a complex geopolitical environment.
This paper contributes to the field of transboundary water management by highlighting the role of water diplomacy in conflict prevention, especially in regions marked by power asymmetries. It also adds to the growing body of literature on institutional constraints in regional governance by emphasizing the need for adaptive strategies to ensure sustainable development and human security amid increasing environmental pressures.
Using a qualitative approach, the paper combines theoretical analysis, institutional review of the MRC, and a focused case study on China’s dam construction on the Upper Mekong River from 2010 to 2016. It relies on academic literature, MRC documents, and reports on regional water management to analyze the MRC’s role and effectiveness in water diplomacy.
The paper finds that the MRC plays a significant role in managing short-term tensions and potential conflicts in the MRB through water diplomacy. It does this by leveraging scientific knowledge, fostering political engagement, facilitating dialogue, and promoting cooperative actions via legal, institutional, and strategic mechanisms, particularly in the face of increasing upstream development and climate change challenges.
However, the MRC faces significant limitations. These include the exclusion of China and Myanmar as full members and the lack of binding enforcement mechanisms, which weaken its ability to prevent long-term conflicts. The case study of Chinese dam construction shows both the MRC’s ability to manage tensions through water diplomacy and the ongoing challenges it faces in a complex geopolitical environment.
This paper contributes to the field of transboundary water management by highlighting the role of water diplomacy in conflict prevention, especially in regions marked by power asymmetries. It also adds to the growing body of literature on institutional constraints in regional governance by emphasizing the need for adaptive strategies to ensure sustainable development and human security amid increasing environmental pressures.
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