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Understanding the impact of hydropower developments in the context of upstream–downstream relations in the Mekong river basin

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An Erratum to this article was published on 15 October 2014

Abstract

Hydropower developments along the main stem of the Mekong River and its tributaries cause transboundary effects within the Mekong Basin Region, which comprises parts of six countries. On the one hand, the provision of hydropower triggers economic development and helps to meet the rising energy demand of the Mekong riparian countries, especially China, Thailand, and Vietnam. On the other hand, the negative impact of dam construction, mainly altered water flow and sediment load, has severe impacts on the environment and the livelihoods of the rural Mekong population. Several discrepancies exist in the needs, demands, and challenges of upstream versus downstream countries. Against the common apprehension that downstream countries are powerlessly exposed to mainly negative impacts whereas upstream countries unilaterally benefit from hydropower, the authors argue that upstream–downstream relations are not really clear-cut. This conclusion is based on a consideration of the complex power play between Mekong riparians, with a focus on recent power trade interactions. The article investigates the consequences of hydropower dams for the Mekong region as well as the role of supranational players, such as the Mekong River Commission and the Greater Mekong Subregion Initiative, on the hydropower debate. It is not nations that are the winners or losers in the hydropower schemes in the Mekong, but rather parts of the riparian population: a few influential and powerful elites versus the large mass of rural poor.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Jake Brunner, Ed Grumbine, Fabrice Renaud, and Heiko Apel for their valuable comments on the manuscript. Further thanks go to two anonymous reviewers. The research undertaken for this paper was funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF. However, the funding source had no impact on the content of this study. This paper does not express the view of any government or organisation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. German Earth Observation Centre, EOC, German Aerospace Centre, DLR, Oberpfaffenhofen, 82234, Wessling, Germany

    Claudia Kuenzer, Patrick Leinenkugel & Stefan Dech

  2. GHD Australia, Melbourne, Australia

    Ian Campbell

  3. Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

    Ian Campbell

  4. Centre for Geoinformatics, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria

    Marthe Roch

  5. College of Environmental Sciences, Can Tho University, Can Tho, Vietnam

    Vo Quoc Tuan

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  1. Claudia Kuenzer
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Correspondence to Claudia Kuenzer.

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Kuenzer, C., Campbell, I., Roch, M. et al. Understanding the impact of hydropower developments in the context of upstream–downstream relations in the Mekong river basin. Sustain Sci 8, 565–584 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-012-0195-z

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