The emergence of the Lancang Mekong cooperation and its impacts on the Mekong river basin

초록

This study examines the dynamics of transboundary water cooperation in the Mekong River Basin with a particular focus on the relationships between China and the Lower Mekong countries. Water diplomacy is as an analytical framework to assess the extent to which the Lancang Mekong Cooperation (LMC), established in 2015, has reshaped the geopolitical, economic, and environmental landscape of the river basin. The LMC has emerged as a significant and influential mechanism, competing with existing frameworks, such as the Mekong River Commission, in advancing China's economic and security interests. In response to criticism from the Lower Mekong countries regarding upstream hydropower dams, China has increased the sharing of hydrological data and information and has released emergency water downstream to mitigate drought conditions since the inception of the LMC. The China-led LMC is poised to influence the evolving political economy landscape of the river basin, amid complex interactions with other regional actors and cooperative frameworks.

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