1. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 1
Interaction of Architecture and Agency in the
Governance of International Waters
- Institutional influence on NGO Coalitions along the
Mekong River-
Yumiko Yasuda
PhD Candidate
IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science
University of Dundee
10-12 April 2013
Facing the Future 2013

2. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 2
Presentation Outline
Institutional
influence on
NGO
coalitions

3. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 3
Background & Justification
• Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
– Key agency in environmental governance
• Academic literature
– Roles, strategies, approaches, actions in influencing
policy/institutions/architecture
– Limited literature aiming to link NGOs actions and
architecture/institutional context
 Filling the gap in literature
 Opportunities and barriers NGOs face

4. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 4
Presentation Outline
Institutional
influence on
NGO
coalitions

5. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 5
Research Question & Definition
• Research Question
– How do institutions influence NGO
coalitions’ actions?
• Institution (Definition for this
research)
– Formal and informal rules, norms, and
the organizations created and adopted
by the society.

6. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 6
Presentation Outline
Institutional
influence on
NGO
coalitions

7. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 7
Research methodology
1. Comparative Case study
2. Analytical Framework

8. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 8
Case studies’ context: Mekong river
• 1995 Mekong Agreement:
Signed by Cambodia, Lao PDR,
Thailand, Vietnam.
• Established Mekong River
Commission (MRC)
• PNPCA: Procedure for
Notification, Prior
Consultation and Agreement Souce: ICEM 2012

9. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 9
Xayaburi hydropower dam and PNPCA
• Xayaburi dam (Lao PDR)
– First case applying PNPCA
Consultation
– Sept 2010: Notification by Lao
PDR
– Dec 2011: Council meeting
concludes needs for further
studies
– As of Jan 2013: No Consensus
reached (MRC Council meeting)
• But….
– Xayaburi construction continues

10. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 10
Comparative case studies: NGO Coalitions’ activities in
Cambodia and Vietnam during Xayaburi PNPCA
• Comparative cases:
– Cambodia and Vietnam
– 2 countries with similar physical
and material conditions
• Rivers Coalition in Cambodia
(RCC)
• Vietnam Rivers Network (VRN)
• Study period: September 2010-
August 2012
Photo: RCC 2012

11. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 11
Analytical Framework
Action Arena
Physical/
material
conditions
Formal rules
Informal rules
Action
Situations
Actors
Patterns of
interactions
Organizations
Theory: New
Institutionalism

12. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 12
Presentation Outline
Institutional
influence on
NGO
coalitions

13. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 13
Cambodia: RCC activities during Xayaburi PNPCA
• Regional : joining letters by
regional coalition
• National : Formal consultation,
workshops
• Community : Thumb prints
collection, awareness raising
events
Activities face informal
pressure from local authorities
Photo: RCC 2012

14. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 14
Informal pressure at local level: Interaction of institutions
Informal
pressure from
local authorities
not to speak up
against
development Neo-
patrimonialism
Cambodian
People’s
Party
Pressure to
journalists
Constitution:
Freedom of
speech,
assembly
Press Law
(restrictions)
Local authorities
(provincial, distri
ct, commune)

15. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 15
Vietnam: VRN’s activities during Xayaburi PNPCA
• Science-policy linkage
• Close collaboration with government
• Use of media:
– Workshops/field trips for media
– Press release/feed information
– Writing articles in media
Faced difficulty through Media embargo
on Xayaburi

16. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 16
Media embargo: interaction of institutions
Constitution:
Freedom of
expression
Press law
Penal code
(restrictions)
Media
Embargo on
Xayaburi
through
Informal
guidelines to
media
Vietnam
Communist
Party
Ministry of
Information and
Communication
International
relations
(Vietnam, Laos,
China)
Pressure to
Editors-in-Chief

17. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 17
Conclusion
• Institutions influence NGO coalitions activities
in different ways
• Different types and levels of institution
influence NGOs
• Interaction between institutions:
– Sometimes contradict each other
– Formal rules vs informal rules

18. IHP-HELP Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science | under the auspices of UNESCO Slide | 18
Thank you
Please send your feedback to
yumikoyasuda@gmail.com