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Epistemic community in transboundary river regime: a case study in the Mekong River Commission regarding mainstream hydropower development

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Abstract

Despite the importance of transboundary water management, cooperation mechanisms are limited, especially in the case of Mekong River basin where environmental and social aspects are threatened by recent anthropogenic pressures like hydropower development. Existing transboundary mechanism such as the Mekong River Commission (MRC) is challenged to facilitate the cooperation between riparian states. An epistemic community (EC) is considered to effectively influence international governance and is studied as part of transboundary river regimes. The existence of an MRC EC is part of that regime but understanding about its characteristics is yet limited. This research aims to fill in the gap by unraveling the main features of the EC in relation to hydropower development. We analyze shared causal beliefs and policy goals that developed in the EC framework of Haas applying literature review and semi-structured interviews of experts. Results show that the community experts share causal beliefs and policy goals only to a limited extent while disagreeing on many aspects. It resembles a “disciplined” or “professional” group rather than an EC. This suggests that the knowledge factor has not gained proper influence and attention in the region, resulting in incoherent policy advice leading to policymakers developing policies based on incomplete and fragmented knowledge. The role of the MRC in the decision-making process could become more relevant if it would facilitate the development of an EC. Bringing key stakeholders including policymakers and experts into a platform where policy goals and causal beliefs are facilitated to reach possible consensus is recommended. Narrowing the science-policy gap while acknowledging differences in interests and policy objectives is crucial to reach a sustainable transboundary management of the Mekong River given its rapid development, especially on hydropower.

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Notes

  1. We then identified and interviewed another regional expert as recommended by one of the five interviewees. Unfortunately, the additional interview could not be included for further analyses due to language barrier.

  2. ICPR and ICPE: Convention on the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine against Pollution and Convention on the International Commission for the Protection of the Elbe.

Abbreviations

E:

Expert

EC:

Epistemic community

ISH:

Initiative on Sustainable Hydropower

JC:

Joint Committee

MRC:

Mekong River Commission

MRCS:

MRC Secretariat

NGOs:

Non-governmental organizations

PNPCA:

Prior Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement

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Acknowledgements

We thank the expert who helped validating the list, introducing the interviewees, and giving invaluable comments for the manuscript. We also thank the interviewees and the staff of the Center of Water Management and Climate Change–VNU-HCM for your support. Our special thanks to Mr. Mark Verhallen (from Wageningen University, The Netherlands) who supported the first author in doing the research at Wageningen, Dr. Vu Minh Hoang (from Fulbright University Vietnam) who provided invaluable feedbacks to improve the manuscript, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hue (from Center of Water Management and Climate Change) who helped to correct the English in the first draft of the paper, and anonymous reviewers who provide invaluable feedbacks to improve the manuscript.

Funding

This paper has been written based on the results of the Master thesis of the first author (TL) who was supported by Vietnam National University–Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM) and the Dutch government (grant number NICHE/VNM/104) for her Master program at Wageningen University from 2015-2017; the writing of this paper was also partly supported by Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology (grant number KHCN-TNB.ĐT/14–19/C11).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Water Management and Climate Change, Institute of Environment and Natural Resources, Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City, 01 Marie Curie Street, VNU campus, Quarter 6, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc Dist., Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Tang Luu & Tran Duc Dung

  2. Wageningen University and Research, 6708 PB, Wageningen, Netherlands

    Erik van Slobbe

  3. Waterframes, Beukenhof 259, 8212EK, Lelystad, Netherlands

    Jos Timmerman

  4. Water Engineering and Management, School of Engineering and Technology, Asian Institute of Technology, Pathumthani, Thailand

    Loc Huu Ho

  5. Department of Environment Management, Faculty of Food and Environment Engineering, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Loc Huu Ho

  6. Department of Hydrology and Water Resources, Institute for Environment and Resources, Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM), Ho Chi Minh City, 700000, Vietnam

    Chau Nguyen Xuan Quang

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  1. Tang Luu
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  2. Erik van Slobbe
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Correspondence to Loc Huu Ho.

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Luu, T., van Slobbe, E., Timmerman, J. et al. Epistemic community in transboundary river regime: a case study in the Mekong River Commission regarding mainstream hydropower development. Environ Monit Assess 194 (Suppl 2), 771 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10176-8

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