This seminar delved into the unprecedented but uneven landscape of public participation created across the Lower Mekong Basin through multi-level stakeholder consultations that have been held under the Mekong River Commission’s consultation procedures, applied to the Government of Laos’ proposed hydropower dams for the mainstream of the Mekong River. While this process opened up spaces for heavy international scrutiny over these proposed projects, it has also been criticized by civil society as a ‘rubber stamp’ for dams that will have transboundary impacts on the livelihoods and food security of millions living across the Lower Mekong Basin. Perspectives from local communities, civil society, and government representatives was highlighted to understand the challenges, opportunities, and contestations that stakeholders face around the issues of transboundary water governance and decision making in the Mekong Region.
Dr. Ming Li Yong is a Fellow at the East-West Center. Her research focuses on community-based natural resource management, civil society movements, public participation, and the institutional arrangements that influence the politics around transboundary water governance in the Mekong Region. Before joining EWC, Ming Li received her Ph.D. from The University of Sydney, and taught at The School for Field Studies and Pannasastra University in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and at the National Institute of Education in Singapore.
View the recording of this webinar below: