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Journal article

The Mekong: a diverse basin facing the tensions of development

Population is growing in the relatively unregulated Mekong River basin, and demands for hydropower and food are increasing. The basin has prospered but the poorest have not shared the benefits.

Citation

Kirby, M. C. Krittasudthacheewa, M. Mainuddin, E. Kemp-Benedict, C. Swartz and E. de la Rosa (2010). The Mekong: a diverse basin facing the tensions of development. Kirby, M. C. Krittasudthacheewa, M. Mainuddin, E. Kemp-Benedict, C. Swartz and E. de la Rosa (2010). The Mekong: a diverse basin facing the tensions of development. Water International, 35(5): 573-593. 593.

Agricultural production is keeping up with rising food demand, but capture fisheries are unlikely to increase production, threatening the supply of animal protein in people’s diets. National governments decide water issues unilaterally, with weak transnational institutions and limited public participation.

Growing pressures, exacerbated by climate change, will likely increase tensions over access to water, reinforcing perceptions of institutional failure and stimulating demands for improved governance.

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SEI authors

Christopher Swartz

Contracts Officer

Finance

SEI US

Eric Kemp-Benedict
Eric Kemp-Benedict

SEI Affiliated Researcher

SEI US

Profile picture of Chayanis Krittasudthacheewa
Chayanis Krittasudthacheewa

Deputy Director, SEI Asia

SEI Asia

Related centres
SEI US , SEI Asia

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