Mekong Water Dialogues

Mekong Water Dialogues

The Mekong Water Dialogues Can Tho, Viet Nam Ganesh Pangare Through the Mekong Water Dialogues, people from all strata of society have a chance to take part in making important decisions related to water resources for the enhancement of their quality of life and protection of the environment. Mr. Pham Quoc Hung, Department of Water Resources Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Viet Nam Background The Mekong Region, encompassing territories of China, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam is one of the fastest-growing economic regions of the world. Amongst its 300 million inhabitants, over 100 million local people are dependent on fisheries and other products of the major river systems the Lancang- Mekong, Nu-Salween, Upper Yangtze, Irrawaddy, Chao Phraya and Red River. Simultaneously, commercial utilization of the water resources, water infrastructure development, and water pollution is increasing.

The Mekong Water Dialogues (MWD), facilitated by IUCN, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and supported by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, were initiated to work with Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam to improve water governance by facilitating transparent and inclusive decision-making to improve livelihood security, human and ecosystem health. The programme aims to provide an opportunity for government, the private sector and civil society in the region to participate in dialogues and to enable different perspectives about waterrelated development to be considered. tions. The NWGs include gender and indigenous representation. The NWG shapes the agenda for the national dialogues and helps establish connections with decision and policy-makers. The MWD is initiating dialogues, research and advocacy on River Basin Organizations, trans-boundary water governance, wetlands and irrigation with a cross cutting focus on climate change. At a regional level, MWD plays the role of bringing country level actors under one roof for discussions, debate and calls to action. The Mekong River Basin Purpose The goal of the programme is to improve livelihood security, human and ecosystem health in the Mekong Region through participatory water governance. Its purpose is to mainstream participation by multiple stakeholders including governments, communities, civil society and the private sector in decision making related to management of water resources. Nanning VIET NAM Ha Noi LAO PDR Vient ane THAILAND Process The programme works by developing country-led and regional dialogue processes enabling better flow of information and knowledge, greater stakeholder participation, and an increased appreciation of the inter-dependence of issues. National Working Groups (NWGs) have been formed to guide the implementation of the programme in each country. Each country NWG has about 10 members representing the government, private sector, civil society, donors, and research institu- Bangkok CAMBODIA Phnom Penh Ho Chi Minh City

Priorities The MWD focuses on priorities identified from situational analysis studies, which were further discussed, debated and ratified in NWG multi-stakeholder meetings in each country. River Basin Organizations To move from sectoral to Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) approaches, all four countries have introduced River Basin Organisations (RBOs). The RBOs seek to address issues related to upstream-downstream, surface and groundwater interactions, water scarcity, water quality and water allocation. Their present function is to coordinate different ministries, state agencies and administrative units. There is little participation by local communities, with the exception of Thailand where some efforts have been made to involve farmers in decision making. To address this issue, community participation in the RBO mechanism is a key thematic focus of the MWD. Wetlands One of the major problems with wetland management in the Mekong Region is that the traditional users of wetlands resources often do not have their rights to use these ecosystems recognized, and therefore are not properly involved in the management of wetlands resources. All lower Mekong countries require clear policy statements on key wetland issues and legislation for community-based management and protection of freshwater wetlands. Both are critical to provide an enabling framework to undertake field-based wetland management activities. MWD works with the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and the Ramsar Convention Secretariat.

Rice planting, Southeast Asia Mayumi Terao The Mekong River has different meanings and perspectives for everyone. To a fisherman, the rivers are important for fisheries, while to a farmer, the river is important for irrigation. Mr. Sansonthi Boonyothayan, Thailand Irrigation Agriculture contributes substantially to local livelihoods and the national economy in all four Mekong countries. Irrigation is the single largest water use in the region. Yet the irrigation sector suffers from a lack of strong rural institutions, support service providers and limited participation of the farmers in planning and management of irrigation systems. This is mainly due to the weak legal status of farmer organizations resulting in lack of motivation for farmers to participate. Recent policy reforms in the sector have not adequately addressed issues of water rights, and definition of rights, roles and responsibilities of the state and the users. The understanding of the policies and laws amongst all stakeholders is still limited. Climate change The Mekong Delta and most parts of Lao PDR and Cambodia are classified by IPCC as hot spots of climate change vulnerability. The region supports many ecosystems that are highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, including glacial fed regions, high altitude ecosystems, wetlands and freshwater ecosystems, low-lying coastal areas and coral reefs. The most successful and sustainable climate change strategies will be those that can simultaneously reduce vulnerability toward a variety of present stressors as well as future climate change impacts. The MWD addresses climate change by integrating adaptation strategies within its work on RBOs, wetlands governance and irrigation.

Knowledge for action Through its knowledge products and publications the MWD provides critical background information and analysis stakeholders need to develop effective strategies and work towards a just and sustainable management of water resources in the Mekong Region. S iphandone : The Mekong Under Threat Photos by Suthep Kritsanavarin MEKONG REGION WATER DIALOGUES SERIES It is important for us to know how development activities along the Mekong River produce impacts on Cambodia in general and the Tonle Sap Lake in particular. H.E. Mr. Sao Sopheap, former Deputy Secretary General, Tonle Sap Basin Authority, Cambodia Siphandone The Mekong River Under Threat. This pictorial essay explores the four thousand islands that encompass a fascinating 50 Km stretch of the Mekong River. It is a highly visual and informative journey through the maze of extensively braided channels, islands and seasonally flooded riverine habitats and the largest complex of waterfalls in Asia. Water Governance This synthesis report presents key issues in water governance in Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam, including issues specific to individual countries, as well as issues shared in common by the countries. Recommendations for change are provided together with suggestions for priority topics for future country and regional dialogues. Exploring Water Futures Together Mekong Region Waters Dialogue, 6-7 July 2006, Vientiane, Lao PDR. Mekong Region Water Dialogues A compilation of papers and presentations from the Mekong Region Waters Dialogue: Exploring Water Futures Together, 6-7 July 2006, Vientiane, Lao PDR.

Wetlands Governance in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta Scientists and wetland managers from Can Tho University assess the state of wetlands, the successes and challenges of wetland management and make policy recommendations. Ebb and Flow: Tonle Sap Basin Opportunities for project harmonisation in conserving and managing Cambodia s Great Lake. A resource for dialogue and decision-making on how projects should be managed in the future to ensure the long-term protection of this valuable ecosystem. For more, visit our website at: www.iucn.org/asia/mekong_dialogues Contacts To learn more about the Mekong Water Dialogues and to find out how you or your organization can get involved, please contact us. Asia Region Water and Wetlands IUCN Asia Regional Office 63 Sukhumvit Soi 39 10110 Wattana, Bangkok Thailand Tel: +66 2 662 4029 Fax: +66 2 662 4387 E-mail: mwd@iucn.org Cambodia IUCN Cambodia #19 Street 312 Sangkat Tonle Basac Khan Chamkarmon Phnom Penh, Cambodia P.O. Box 1504 Tel: +855 023 222 311 Fax: +855 023 222 312 E-mail: mwd-cambodia@iucn.org Lao PDR IUCN Lao PDR 082/01 Fa Ngum Road Ban Watt Chan Vientiane, Lao PDR P.O.Box: 4340 Tel: +856 21 216 401 Fax: +856 21 216 127 E-mail: mwd-lao@iucn.org Thailand IUCN Thailand 63 Sukhumvit Soi 39 Wattana,10110 Bangkok Thailand Tel: +66 2 662 4029 Fax: +66 2 662 4388 E-mail: mwd-thailand@iucn.org Viet Nam IUCN Viet Nam Villa 44/4 Van Bao Street Ba Dinh, Hanoi, Viet Nam Tel: +84 4 726 1575 Fax: +84 4 726 1561 E-mail: mwd-vietnam@iucn.org

IUCN Asia Regional Office 63 Sukhumvit Soi 39 Wattana, Bangkok 10110 Thailand Tel: + 66 2 662 4029 Fax: + 66 2 662 4387 Email: mwd@iucn.org www.iucn.org/asia/mekong_dialogues International Union for Conservation of Nature