376 I PART 3 I THE MEKONG EMERGENCY
hydropower, national parks, or conservation projects is not paid enough attention. Transboundary coordination is often the result of the involvement of development agencies, donors, national state agencies, and public-to-private entities from various countries. The current situation challenges the efforts for transboundary governance, and negotiation for collaboration. Adding to the ongoing environmental transformations caused by both national and international interventions over the last decades, climate change makes it more urgent to find a solution for sustainable management of transboundary water resources. This chapter provides insights into water diplomacy in
2. National and regional governance structures of transboundary resources Before discussing the regional structures on water governance, it is important to recognize recent developments in the Mekong countries in terms of advances in water and natural resource management (See Box 8.1 below and MRC, 2021). These national institutions, laws and policies recognize the risks, especially to vulnerable people, of rapid development and climate change. Implementation remains a great challenge, but these provide frameworks for engagement and holding authorities accountable.
the region. Taking water and related natural resources as the main target of discussion, the chapter revisits the national and regional structures of governance, their potential and barriers in managing and/or enhancing transboundary resource management. A paradigm shift in sustainable development and complexity analysis in the Mekong countries will be developed as a conclusion; new lines of policy recommendation will be proposed in the areas of knowledge production, anchored in sustainability science, innovative ways of conducting research and intensive capacity building.
According to the non-governmental organization (NGO) Oxfam International, the Mekong governments have all recently improved in terms of their commitment to tackle inequalities in both policies and practices, with China, Thailand and Viet Nam ranking well. These countries also invest more than 15% on social spending, which is the recommended level to help address inequalities and other forms of injustices [ Lim, 2021 ]. Beside the difficulties, countries in the Mekong basin are finding and making trials of better governance on water resource management. The basin is connected by the water flow, creating complex dynamics of socio-economic and political settings. The question is how national institutions could — together with the regional ones — enhance the governance of water and other resources across borders, with a view to sustainable development; and whether current progress in institutions has prepared for future uncertainty induced by climate change and its possible impacts.
