Water diplomacy and transboundary water governance in the Lower Mekong basin: Towards inclusivity?

This contribution explores the opportunities for participatory water diplomacy in transboundary river basins. The focus falls on the role of international basin organizations to provide multi-track and multi-scale frameworks for cooperation, bringing diverse stakeholders into a common space in the context of large dam construction. Drawing on literature in the fields of international water law, water diplomacy, and the governance of transboundary commons, the contribution uses the Mekong River Commission as a case study to explore the capacity of international basin organizations to contribute to inclusive decision-making and the peaceful development of transboundary water resources. Whilst the Mekong River Commission has made significant strides to build multi-stakeholder consultations into its structure, the primacy of state sovereignty and a clear distinction between regional and national decision-making processes leaves little room for the public to actively contest hydropower projects at a regional level. International law could provide important guidelines to make decision-making more inclusive by fostering the participation of marginalised and project-affected people.