Paper tiger meets white elephant? : an analysis of the effectiveness of the Mekong River regime

Abstract

This thesis addresses the management of the Mekong River and its basin. The four lower riparians, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Vietnam, cooperate in the Mekong River Commission. China and Burma, the two upstream states, hold observer status. The thesis assesses the effectiveness of the Mekong River regime, seeking to explain what has been achieved and why, and what might enhance or limit the effectiveness of the regime. The assessment is based on Arild Underdal's (2002 in Miles et al) model for evaluating regime effectiveness, using problem malignity and problem-solving capacity, hereunder the institutional setting, the distribution of power and the skills and energy, as main explanatory factors. Additionally, the effect of other forms of cooperation in the region is accounted for. The thesis suggests that the level of effectiveness is low, but that achivements have been made in the field of data collection and processing. The geographical location of the riparians, influenced by domestic and historical factors, determine the distribution of pusher and laggard roles within the regime, and China's position is thought to limit its effectiveness.