” target=”_blank”>defied the regional process and proceeded with preliminary construction although an agreement is not yet in place.
Fixing a collapsing system
So where do we go from here? The obvious solution is to fill the gaps in the MRC’s procedures, but this depends on the political will of the four governments and MRC’s donors. If the MRC cannot be fixed, then it is time to look to other regional bodies to fill in the gaps.
“Food security” is not an empty phrase. Threats to food security are also threats to the region’s economic and political stability, as well as to the basic human rights of millions of people. If this is not enough to motivate the region’s politicians to call for drastic reform, then the Mekong is in serious trouble.
See Ziv et al. (2012), Trading-off fish biodiversity, food security and hydropower in the Mekong River Basin, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 5 March 2012.