Background
The Lower Mekong Basin is crucial for the livelihoods of more than 60 million people. Over two thirds of the basin’s population live from agriculture and fisheries, and are therefore wholly dependent on the Mekong’s water resources. The river has particular economic significance for those who live directly along its banks, for many of whom it provides their food base. Furthermore, with its potential for transport, tourism and energy, the river forms the basis for socioeconomic development in all the riparian states.
The basin area faces numerous challenges that threaten its sustainable development. Population growth and the related pressures on the basin’s resources are a growing problem. In particular, this manifests itself in the on-going expansion of hydropower, logging, intensified agriculture and the extraction of mineral resources. At the same time, the Mekong region is among the areas in the world most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and is already severely affected by it. Today, the regular occurrence of floods has drastically increased the vulnerability of people living alongside the river. This is set to get worse.
In 1995, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Viet Nam established the Mekong River Commission (MRC) as a mechanism for collectively addressing the development problems of the Lower Mekong Basin. Since then, the Commission has done much to improve the sustainable management of the water resource. Faced with worsening problems and the emergence of new challenges, the capacity of the MRC to deliver on its mandate is repeatedly called into question. Is it capable of addressing the core problems in the river basin effectively and competently, especially with regard to climate change and hydropower development?
What we aim for
GIZ is supporting the MRC in the environmentally friendly and pro-poor development of hydropower and in its efforts to protect local people from the adverse impacts of climate change. The programme also supports the ongoing institutional transition of the MRC in various areas, such as the structural, financial and staff reforms. It works directly with expert staff and managers in the MRC Secretariat and, as far as possible, encourages the involvement of the national Mekong committees and each country’s ministries for water, energy and environment in its work.
Gender and water management
GIZ supports MRC in translating MRC gender policy and strategy in the implementation of its work. Specifically, GIZ supported the integration of gender mainstreaming into the job descriptions of MRC’s new structure and contributed to good practices of recruitment process that was not gender-biased. GIZ is supporting MRC in conducting gender analysis and developing gender action plan to integrate gender perspectives in MRC annual work plan, monitoring and evaluation system. Furthermore, under the support to climate change adaptation, GIZ advises the MRC in the development of Mekong Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan that incorporates gender sensitive aspects.
Results achieved so far
Since its formation, the MRC has generated a large body of knowledge. It has established procedures for the development of sustainable water resources and set up a regional water diplomacy platform. More specifically, with the support of the programme, the Commission has made progress in a number of areas:
§ Hydropower development plans in the four countries have been assessed for their sustainability. This involved a newly developed assessment and stakeholder engagement tool.
§ A network of over 30 universities has been established in the region. This has enabled them to integrate international best practices for the sustainable use of hydropower in their curricula.
§ The impacts of climate change on water and related resources in the Mekong basin have been analysed, and a system has been developed to monitor the state of climate change in the region, as well as adaptations to it.
§ A new streamlined organisational structure has been adopted by MRC. It has downsized its staff according to its core functions, and has revised its human resources and financial policies and procedures. River basin management activities are being transferred to the member countries, according to their financial and technical capacity.
GIZ Laos’ engagement in regional cooperation
Alongside our bilateral projects that focus on Lao PDR, we engage in a variety of regional projects, because regional integration and cooperation are beneficial to advancing the Lao development agenda.
Some of our regional programmes are based in Laos, while others are managed from GIZ offices in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia or Cambodia.
The largest regional programme based in Laos (operating also in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand) is implemented with the Mekong River Commission (MRC). GIZ provides advice to the MRC in carrying out its organisational reform process and supports the MRC’s sectoral work on sustainable hydropower development and climate change adaptation.
Furthermore, the Improved Land Management in the Mekong Region project, the German Contribution to the Swiss Mekong Region Land Governance Project (MRLG) addresses land use rights of farmers in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Also the programme on sustainable agrifood systems focuses in particular on these countries.
Several of our programmes support ASEAN integration. One programme, based in Laos, supports the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) while others focus on regional standards for the training of vocational education personnel and for land transport. Other projects tackle the implementation of national competition policies and support supreme audit institutions.
The Fit for School programme improves health among school children by promoting basic hygienic standards in Laos, Philippines, Indonesia and Cambodia.
These are the running projects in various areas of regional cooperation:
§ Support to the Mekong River Commission
§ Improved Land Management in the Mekong Region (ILM-MR)
§ Support to the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI)
§ Fit for School Programme
§ ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems (SAS)
§ Competition Policy and Law in ASEAN (CPL)
§ Regional Cooperation Programme to Improve the Training of TVET Personnel (RECOTVET)
§ Support to Supreme Audit Institutions
About GIZ
The services delivered by GIZ draw on a wealth of regional and technical expertise and tried and tested management know-how. As a federal enterprise, we support the German Government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development.
Please visit our website www.giz.de for further information on GIZ’s work in Asia and worldwide.
Published by: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
Mekong River Commission-GIZ Cooperation Programme
P.O. Box 9233
Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR
T: +856 21 263263 ext 3061
F: +856 21 312408
E: mrc@giz.de
www.giz.de/laos (EN); www.giz.de/laos-la (LAO)
Contact Person: Dr. Bertrand Meinier
Layout: PR Unit, GIZ Office Laos
As at: June 2017