Panellists of the ‘Mekong-Lancang Cooperation: Towards Peace and Prosperity’ discussion, hosted by the Asian Vision Institute (AVI) in Phnom Penh. AVI
Cambodia views collaboration across the Lancang-Mekong Basin as essential not only for water control but also for fostering stability in the region and ensuring sustainable growth and mutual prosperity.
Being located downstream and heavily dependent upon the Mekong River for fisheries production and transportation, Cambodia acknowledges the pressing need for efforts to oversee shared water resources.
The Kingdom’s key focus within the Lancang-Mekong partnership is to ensure the long-lasting handling of water resources in the region. From the perspective of Cambodia’s rural sector – which greatly rely on the river’s resources – it is crucial for water levels to remain stable and for activities like dam construction not to significantly disrupt downstream water flow.
Cambodia looks to the collaboration to guarantee the effective management of floods and drought, which are becoming more frequent due to shifts in climate, through efforts involving timely sharing of hydrological information among all participating nations.
Moreover, Cambodia anticipates that the collaboration will prioritise enhancing the quality of life for communities residing alongside the river. This goal can be realised through backing initiatives that boost output and upgrade water facilities, while strengthening the management of fisheries in a sustainable manner. The Kingdom is also interested in strategies for coping with climate change impacts due to the heightened vulnerability of the Mekong Basin to its adverse effects.
Cambodia has a vision for a governance system that involves stakeholders like governments and civil society to participate in decision making processes at different levels of operation framework within the Lancang -Mekong Cooperation (LMC). While recognising that the foundation laid by LMC is strong enough for cooperation enhancement, it aims to promote robust connections between LMC and the Mekong River Commission ( MRC). This will improve data exchange mechanisms and technical collaboration while enhancing coordination in making decisions.
Furthermore, Cambodia is in favour of establishing a team comprising delegates from the six member nations to convene regularly and evaluate the advancement of initiatives, particularly those related to the development of hydropower projects, watershed management infrastructure and disaster preparedness. This entity should possess a framework enabling it to respond to evolving obstacles and guarantee that downstream countries like Cambodia have a fair role in decision making procedures.
The main focus of the collaboration should be to support the long-term growth of the Mekong River Basin by considering both the requirements of the river and the financial objectives of each of the nations involved. It is recommended that Cambodia presents a set of objectives and initiatives for cooperation across the Lancang-Mekong Basin.
Effective management of water resources is essential to maintain sustainability in water usage for activities like hydro-power generation and irrigation, while preventing any impacts that downstream countries may face as a result of these actions.
To achieve this goal successfully, it is imperative to share data with relevant stakeholders and ensure transparency in the operation of dams along with making collaborative decisions regarding significant infrastructure projects.
Preserving the environment is crucial for the partnerships focus on protecting the rivers biodiversity by monitoring water quality, taking measures to prevent overexploitation of fish stocks and addressing the effects of hydropower facilities.
The Cambodian government announced in March 2020 that construction of hydroelectric dams along the Mekong River inside its borders would be prohibited for ten years. More recently, in late 2023, the prime minister of Cambodia reiterated the national government's pledge to refraining from dam construction on the main Mekong, guaranteeing that neither of these two projects will proceed anytime soon.
This declaration serves as a testament to the coordinated efforts of journalists, academics, community rights defenders and other civil society allies who have been working for more than ten years to highlight the detrimental effects that could be anticipated if these projects were ever constructed.
Disaster preparedness in Cambodia aims to create a system for responding to disasters in the region with a focus on handling floods and droughts. Significant aspects include the importance of warning systems and coordination across borders to safeguard at risk communities and reduce impacts.
Promoting growth is a crucial objective of the collaboration effort among member countries to strengthen the agriculture, fishing and tourism sectors in Cambodia as they are vital to the country’s economy. The focus should be on initiating projects that benefit communities directly and enhance their quality of life.
Cambodia is looking forward to collaboration that enhances skills in managing water resources and protecting the environment through capacity building initiatives. In addition, technology transfer opportunities are expected to focus on research ventures and sharing technology for water resource management and climate change adaptation.
Cambodia is pushing for a collaboration approach focused on projects and actual outcomes that all member states will commit to funding and executing for the benefit of the Mekong regions communities. Cambodia also backs the establishment of a fund for Lancang-Mekong Cooperation to support research initiatives and boost infrastructure and capacity building effortsin the area.
Collaboration should also emphasise community engagement by including authorities and civil society organisations in the process of planning and executing projects to guarantee that development initiatives address the requirements of residents and align with development objectives.
In conclusion, Cambodia’s position regarding the Lancang-Mekong whole basin collaboration emphasises the sharing of resources and sustainable development practices that benefit all member countries equally, while focusing on water security and ecological harmony in the region.
Seun Sam is a policy analyst with the Royal Academy of Cambodia and part-time lecturer at the Business School of Hohai University, China. The views expressed are his own.
