The Mekong Basin in a Transnationalized World:Cooperation among Riparian States

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The Mekong Basin in a Transnationalized
WorldCooperation among Riparian States

• Hongyun Han, Center for Agricultural and Rural
  Development, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou ,
  Zhejiang, China and Sitanon Jesdapipat, Center
  for Natural Resources and Environmental
  Management, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai,
  Thailand

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Engagement Strategies

• Contest versus Cooperate
• Determinants Net costs to parties
• Political power versus net gains
• Public resources requires common vision to avoid
  system break-down
• Sanction from outside not sustainable
• How to initiate and gather momentum?

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Boxed Pig Game

• One party takes lead, leaving the rest to follow,
  or decide to move
• Gain could be political, intangible
• No absolute gain to one party as resources are
  transboundary
• The weighted gains could either less or more than
  the engagement costs
• How the costs are shared?
• Sustainable financing will be key in long run

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Why China is needed?

• Political leadership
• Economic gains
• Geo-politics
• no border world, no room for no action
• But what environment is required, what
  institutional framework needed?
• Engagement ensures win-win outcomes

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Potential Gains for cooperation

• Power generation
• Economic cooperation
• Changing political environment
• With in GMS
• Outside GMS
• Needs for regional sustainable action
• Transboundary issues and risks of failures
  (market, policy)

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Big Questions

• Well-Informed China?
• Political will of all nations in GMS?
• MRC versus GMS?
• Who to speed up the process?
• How to create a more balanced GMS?
• Start-up costs and shared benefits?

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Thank you