Contested waterscapes in the Mekong region: hydropower, livelihoods and governance

Abstract

This book is a radical and refreshing perspective to the study of water in the Mekong region, which was coordinated by the M-Power Team with support from the CPWF. It examines how large-scale projects are being proposed, justified, and built. How are such projects contested and how do specific governance regimes influence decision making? The book also highlights the emergence of new actors, rights and trade-off debates, and the social and environmental consequences of 'water resources development'.

This book shows how diverse, and often antagonistic, ideologies and interests are contesting for legitimacy. It argues that the distribution of decision-making, political, and discursive power influences how the waterscapes of the region will ultimately look and how benefits, costs and risks will be distributed. These issues are crucial for the transformation of waterscapes and the prospects for democratizing water governance in the Mekong region.

Citation

Molle, F.; Foran, T.; Kakonen, M. (Editors)Contested waterscapes in the Mekong region: hydropower, livelihoods and governance. Earthscan, (2009) 448 pp. ISBN 9781844077076

Contested waterscapes in the Mekong region: hydropower, livelihoods and governance

Published 1 January 2009