A paper published by the UNESCO Global Water Forum highlights disconnects between regional and national governance in the Mekong River Basin, and emphasizes configuring “hydrological boundaries into existing political boundaries.”
10 September 2012: A discussion paper released by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Global Water Forum (GWF) conducts an institutional analysis of the Mekong River Commission. Among lessons learned, the paper notes the need to understand the relationships between new and old governance structures.
The paper “Scalar Disconnect: The Logic of Transboundary Water Governance in the Mekong,” written by Diana Suhardiman, Mark Giordarno and Francois Molle of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), focuses on disconnects between regional and national decision-making in the Mekong River Basin.
The analysis highlights “structural constraints” faced in creating inter-ministerial decision-making platforms, and identifies consequences for the application of integrated water resources management (IWRM) and transboundary water governance. The paper emphasizes configuring “hydrological boundaries into existing political boundaries.” [Publication: Scalar Disconnect: The Logic of Transboundary Water Governance in the Mekong]