adelphi study reveals: Only if pulling together along the Mekong, all riparians can benefit from hydropower

The governance of hydropower along transboundary river basins is a complex and timely topic. Against this background, adelphi has been commissioned by the GIZ cooperation programme with the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to provide recommendations on sustainable hydropower development and management.

The results of the study have now been presented by adelphi’s director Alexander Carius at a training workshop for MRC country representatives in Bangkok. The aim was to facilitate an exchange of experience between the Mekong River Basin and other international basins from around the world. The highly interactive workshop addressed, among others, how the cooperative governance of large infrastructure schemes can offer benefits to all riparian countries and the role that various international mechanisms can play in ensuring cooperative management.

Presentations and discussions at the workshop stressed that integrating impact mitigation measures as well as benefit-sharing mechanisms into hydropower planning at an early stage has clear benefits with regards to long-term costs, environmental sustainability and poverty reduction. With regards to institutional mechanism, participants further highlighted the need to constantly evaluate socio-economic and environmental developments in a region to adjust cooperative arrangements accordingly.

More information:

Kramer, Annika with Oliver Hensengerth, Anja Mertens, Alexander Carius 2012: Assessment of RBO-Level Mechanisms for Sustainable Hydropower Development and Management. Vientiane/Berlin: GIZ

Fact Sheets Hydropower:
>>Benefit Sharing - Lessons learnt
>>Columbia River Basin
>>Kosi River Basin
>>Parana River Basin
>>Senegal River Basin
>>Zambezi River Basin

MRC Initiative on Sustainable Hydropower: http://www.mrcmekong.org…