Assessment of water conflicts induced by climate change and anthropogenic activities in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin | |
| Author | Dotel, Sabin |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.CC-23-02 |
| Subject(s) | Climatic changes--Mekong River Basin Water resources development--Mekong River Basin Conflict management--Mekong River Basin |
| Note | A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Climate Change and Sustainable Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | The six riparian nations possess unique values and preferences regarding water resource management. Their attitude towards shared water resources significantly influences their willingness to participate in collaborative water management efforts and comply with established treaties and agreements. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of knowledge regarding how the values and interests of each riparian nation evolve. This study aims to analyze the evolution of water-related conflicts and cooperation dynamics across the Lancang-Mekong River Basin and how changing hydrological regimes and increased anthropogenic activities play a vital role in water conflicts, drawing on the perspectives of each riparian nation. Newspaper articles and events database from the Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database was used as critical data source for the study as they offer valuable insights into events reported by the media that are representative of the respective country or sector in which they are published. Likewise, this study used quantitative and qualitative methods, including data analysis and key informant interviews, to explore how future anthropogenic pressures such as water demand and water stress could exacerbate water conflicts and identify best practices and strategies that cooperation could assist in resolving such conflicts. The results depict that over the period from 1952 to early 2023, the riparian nation made efforts to utilize their water resources, resulting in 263 events in the basin, out of which 171 events are cooperative, 72 are conflictive, and 20 are neutral events. It implies cooperative events among the riparian states are more frequent than conflictive ones. Similarly, this study identified hydropower dam development, climate change, land use, land cover change, and population growth as the primary drivers of water conflict. The study also found that future pressures such as increasing water demand, water stress, and seasonal river flow variability induced by climate change could lead to increased water conflicts. Finally, the study suggests that strengthening existing platforms for dialogue, facilitating information sharing, collaboration, and investment in sustainable water management practices, and building flexible and adaptive management frameworks to accommodate changing conditions and emerging drivers of conflicts are some of the effective strategies for cooperation. |
| Year | 2023 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Energy and Climate Change (Former title: Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Change (DEECC)) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Climate Change and Sustainable Development (CC) |
| Chairperson(s) | Ahmad, Mokbul Morshed |
| Examination Committee(s) | Thi Phuoc Lai Nguyen;Pal, Indrajit |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Asian Institute of Technology Fellowship |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2023 |