The Mekong Region, shared among Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam, is an area facing serious water governance challenges. Risks to equitable development are due to a combination of:
• growing environmental pressure;
• weak environmental governance; and
• limited stakeholder engagement in governance process.
Given the inter-connectedness of the region’s ecosystems, management approaches undertaken by one stakeholder group will ultimately have limited effectiveness. Improved water governance partnerships are critical in order to address growing sustainability threats.
Tackling the Challenge
The Mekong Region Water Dialogues aims facilitate transparent decision-making in the Mekong Region by enabling wider stakeholder involvement in processes associated with water resources governance. The agenda will encompass issues surrounding public participation and deliberation, accountability, transparency and protection of rights such as access to information.
IUCN is dedicated to building sustainable mechanisms by facilitating equitable water governance in the Region to:
• improve decision-making processes around water-related investments in the Mekong Region;
• provide an opportunity for business, government and civil society actors in the Mekong Region to participate in dialogues; and
• enable different perspectives on Mekong Region water-related development to be considered in decision-making.
What are Dialogues?
Dialogues are a series of facilitated discussions. They allow participants to share their perspectives and experiences to promote and build a deeper understanding of contentious issues. Rather than seeking quick solutions, participants will partake in a more thorough decision making process and build relationships in the process. Dialogues can assist various sectors of society to reflect on previous work, assess future options and openly negotiate workable strategies and agreements.
IUCN will utilize its bipartisan convening role to bring state and non-state actors together to address the governance challenges of water resources management in the Mekong Region. Given the complexity and sensitivity associated with water governance, IUCN’s authority to convene different stakeholders will form an integral part of this dialogue process.
Moving Forward
The Mekong Region Water Dialogues will work at national and regional levels. The national water dialogue process is iterative process. Each national water dialogue will generate key issues of discussion along with necessary information and studies for the subsequent dialogue. The outcome of the national dialogues in each country will then inform the structure and focus of the regional dialogues.
A compilation of policy briefs, issue papers and studies within each national dialogue will also contribute to the broader regional water dialogues. This information will be documented and made available to decision makers on an ongoing basis.
Partners in Change
The Mekong Region Water Dialogues differs from other stakeholder engagement strategies in the Mekong Region as representatives from business, civil society and government will all participate. Each sector will share their key water governance challenges so all stakeholders gain a broader view of the issues collectively faced; allowing decision makers to develop and implement more sophisticated water management strategies.
Partnerships formed throughout the Dialogues will also act as inter-industry support networks, where stakeholders can seek support in finding solutions to water governance issues.
IUCN sees this as an essential governance strategy, believing that effective solutions benefit more than one sector in society. For example environmental sustainability often reaps financial rewards and ensures livelihoods for local communities.
Business
The private sector is an increasingly powerful force in water management and the Mekong Region Water Dialogues are a unique opportunity to engage business leaders in the Region. The Dialogues will collaborate with national and international businesses from sectors including tourism, mining and energy.
Government
Government officials will be engaged in the Dialogue process to contribute their knowledge and expertise, and learn from environmental initiatives carried out by other governments in the region. Civil society engagement is an emerging governance technique in the region, especially in Lao PDR, and since the government is the primary decision making source it is important to have their involvement in the Dialogue process.
Civil Society
Civil society will be represented by key local and international non-government organizations and community groups. These organizations will participate in discussions with business leaders and government officials and debate their views on water management more openly.
For more information please contact:
Erik Nielsen, Program Coordinator, IUCN Lao PDR
Tel: +856-21-216401 ext. 109 Email: erik@iucnlao.org
Claudia Cooney, Program Officer, IUCN Lao PDR
Tel: +856-21-216401 ext. 119 Email: claudia@iucnlao.org
