Presentation given by Esther Monier-Illouz at the 4th Biennial GEF International Waters Conference during the focused learning discussion on SAP's and Adaptive Management.

1. Mekong Water
Utilization Project (WUP)
2000-2007
GEF IW C4
August 1, 2007

2. The Mekong River Commission (MRC) was formed
(from the Mekong Committee founded in 1957) on
April 5, 1995 by the Agreement on the Cooperation
for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong
River Basin between the governments of Cambodia,
Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam to provides the
institutional framework to promote regional
cooperation.
In 1996 China and Myanmar became Dialogue
Partners of the MRC.
The four goals of our organization for 2006-2010 are:
Goal 1: To promote and support coordinated,
sustainable, and pro-poor development;
Goal 2: To enhance effective regional cooperation;
Goal 3: To strengthen basin-wide environmental
monitoring and impact assessment;
Goal 4: To strengthen the Integrated Water
Resources Management capacity and knowledge
base of the MRC bodies, National Mekong
Committees, Line Agencies, and other stakeholders.

3. The Mekong River Basin
Key Features
• 4800 km long, longest river in South Asia and the 12th longest river in the world
• 795,000 km2
• Parts of China, Myanmar and Vietnam, nearly one third of Thailand (1/3 of
land); Cambodia (86%) Lao PDR (90%)
• 35 % of the river’s total annual flow comes from Lao PDR; 18% from
Thailand/Cambodia, 11% from Vietnam, 16% from China, 2% from Myanmar
• Lower Mekong Basin (LMB): 65 million
• Only major international river system with limited development and regulation
Resources
• One of the world’s most productive inland fisheries in floodplains
• High social values (culture, livelihood)
• Many international Tributaries
• Large fluctuations in seasonal discharge driven by the southwest monsoon
• Unique system with Tonle sap reverse flow
• Fisheries main source of protein intake and livelihoods (esp. Cambodia)
• Rich biodiversity – only second to the Amazon River Basin

4. Challenges
• 90 million by 2025
• Fast regional growth - Demand for water increasing
• Private Sector Interest for development
– Infrastructure (roads, hydropower, …)
– Plantations (sugar, cane, corn, palm, aquaculture …) Limited
storage capacity
• Low utilization – potentials for further utilization,
particularly through regional collaboration
• Tourism and nature, fisheries, rural and agricultural development,
irrigation, navigation, hydropower, flood protection
• Each of the LMB countries has both upstream and
downstream interests
• Flow changes associated with investments could have a
major social, economic and ecological impact

5. Threats on biodiversity and livelihoods
• Fishing communities
• Large scale deforestation due to exploitation of the
wetlands, shifting cultivation, and logging in the uplands
• Agricultural expansion
• Watersheds degradation, increasing erosion, and
modification of the hydrological regime, leading to loss of
livelihoods and river’s biodiversity
• Extremely variable climatic conditions -flood, drought
(e.g. Delta, northeastern Thailand
• Salinization and fertilizers pollution impact on land
productivity, water supply…
• First oil cargo from Thailand to China
Major economic uses and water balance
• Increased demand for electricity production: LMB
demand for power expected to grow by 237%/y to 2022
• Inland water navigation and maritime shipping upstream
will influence flow

6. Governance
Regional level
• Governance not yet established
• Capacity needs to be improved
• MRC needs to continue to improve its policies, management, and riparian
ownership
• Limited public access to technical studies and data
• Legal and Institutional framework not yet well developed (national and
regional level)
Country level
• “Partial disconnect” between the regional and the national water sector
strategies, the interests of the countries and MRC Secretariat’s work plan
• Governments still lack a comprehensive sector strategy, effective
institutions, or HR
• Knowledge level still needs to be improved
• Technical line agencies have strong vested interests, leading to their lack of
strong grip on the development debate, and on the oversight of the MRC
Secretariat work plan.
• Country coordination of national Mekong-related activities not effective

7. SAP Elements
Strategic planning - Logical, sustainable and
politically acceptable solutions.
MRC Strategic Plan 2006-2010 includes specific goals and "key result
areas", all driven by the member countries’ willingness to cooperate in
sustainable development of the Mekong basin under the 1995 Mekong
Agreement.
BDP 1 includes options for interventions, both physical and non-physical (e.g.
management systems, tariffs, water use policies and laws) in 10 sub-areas.BDP2
starting in 2007 to produce a rolling plan facilitating future development activities in
the Basin, enabling decisions to be made within a range of acceptable choices within
a framework for regional action in LMB to minimize water-related environmental
problems.
BPD seen by the countries as a way to move beyond the operational requirements of
the Agreement to embrace broader sustainable development.
MWRAS provides framework for cooperative action in the basin in the short and
medium terms. Was welcomed by governments and donors.
Has inspired MRC’s Strategic Plan.

8. SAP Elements
4. Goals and objectives
UN Millennium Development Goals
Towards Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
Goals
Objectives
Strategic outputs
5. Implementation Strategy
Strategic partnerships with other regional initiatives
Integrated programme approach
Integrated programme structure and management
BDP planning process
Funding MRC activities
Funding approach
Towards budget aid for MRC activities
Organisational and managerial strategy of the MRC
MRC Secretariat organisational structure
Management principles
Monitoring and evaluation
Overall performance
Monitoring and evaluation system
Implementation arrangements

9. SAP Elements
Full stakeholder participation. All parties fully
consulted throughout SAP process.
• MRC Strategic Plan 2006-2010 was prepared with
extensive consultation with riparian stakeholders.
• BDP has developed close linkages with line agencies, NGOs and
community organizations.

10. SAP Elements
Stepwise consensus building through stakeholder
representation at all stages.
• MRC Strategic Plan builds upon MRC’s work and
achievements and presents clear roles, goals, objectives and
organizational arrangements for moving MRC’s vision
forward.
• Within MRC, all decisions must be adopted by a unanimous
vote, under the 1995 Agreement, unless otherwise decided by
MRC’s governing bodies. In practice, decisions are reached
by consensus through a process of consultation and
negotiation that balances the interests of all stakeholders and
seeks acceptable solutions for all parties without any vote
required.

11. SAP Elements
Regional dialogue
• BDP2 continues rolling basin development plans in the
coming years.
• Process of State of Basin Report to be continued at regular intervals
as more data become available and are shared. Update expected
before 2009
• State of the Basin Report to provide incentive to improve data
collection and analysis.
• WB-ADB-funded Mekong Water Resources Partnership Program
(MWARP) includes continued dialogue among development
partners, countries, and civil society.

12. SAP Elements
Accountability of parties committing themselves to
implementing the SAP for their actions. Stakeholder
group/sector/ government agency(ies) responsible
for implementing the actions proposed is clearly
identified.
MWRAS frames comprehensive agenda for stakeholders
for policy analysis, dialogue and governance, technical
assistance, and investments.

13. SAP Elements
Political commitment. SAP is high level binding
agreement between governments for policy
development and implementation.
• Acceptable flows (based on IBFM as an objective assessment)
under Article 6 of 1995 Agreement and Procedures for Maintenance
of Flows developed under WUP.
• Five sets of procedures and related and guidelines developed under
WUP, four of which have formal approval by MRC Council:
• - Data and information exchange and sharing
• - Water use monitoring
• - Notification, prior consultation and agreement
• - Maintenance of flows
• - Water quality (agreed by the Joint Committee, and pending
approval by the cabinet of the Government of Thailand, and MRC
Council.)

15. SAP Elements
Donor partnerships as an incentive for commitment
and to avoid duplication of efforts.
• International community supports joint action.
• BDP links with and supports GMS and work of WUP,
ASEAN, ESCAP, GWP, etc.
• MWRAS principles consistent with regional policies and
programs of donors e.g. Ausaid and Danida.

16. SAP Elements
Subsidiarity. SAP should clearly address the balance
between regional and national actions.
MRC Strategic Plan 2006-2010 identifies clear "key
result areas" and priorities at various levels.

17. SAP Elements
Inter-sectoral policy building (national
Interministerial committees, including appropriate
government sectors as well as other relevant
stakeholder representatives)
MRC organizational framework enables interactions
between the member countries at the highest (i.e.
ministerial) levels although MRC is not part of any line
ministries making it difficult to implement some of the
rules.

18. WUP (2000-2007)
Invest in knowledge and regional rules/procedures
• Hydrological models
• Procedures for prior notification, water quality, and
water quantities

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