Mekong River Commission

 

Basin Development Plan

The BDP Phase 2 Programme (2006-2010) was launched in January 2007, forming an underlying planning intiative that will guide all MRC efforts to eradicate poverty and serve the population of the Lower Mekong Basin. Funding agreements for the BDP were signed with the Government of Denmark in December 2006 and with Sweden in April 2007.

The development objective of the BDP Phase 2 is stated as: “the water resources of the Mekong River Basin managed and developed in an integrated, sustainable and equitable manner for the mutual benefit of the riparian states”. Phase 2 of the BDP is designed to institutionalise the participatory planning process established during phase 1 and to further develop the tools and capacity needed for regional Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).

Immediate Objectives
Objective 1: To create a rolling IWRM-based Mekong Basin Development Plan in support of sustainable development in the Mekong River Basin. In line with the 1995 Mekong Agreement, the BDP works to prepare the development scenarios, the basin IWRM strategy, and a portfolio of structural and supporting non-structural projects that will continue to manage and develop some of the basin’s water resources while minimising harmful effects that might result from natural occurrences or human activities.

Objective 2: To further develop and effectively utilise the knowledge base and assessment tools available to the MRC Secretariat (MRCS), the National Mekong Committees (NMCs), and national line agencies. Work under this objective will upgrade and refine the existing knowledge base and selected modelling and assessment tools. It will also build capacity for the maintenance and use of the tools by MRCS, NMCs and selected national agencies.

Objective 3: To develop capacity for IWRM planning and facilitation in areas where trade-off management is required. The BDP will thus build capacity for IWRM in the basin, with a view to mainstreaming IWRM into national and sub-basin policies, plans and projects, and will also enhance the facilitation and mediation skills of the MRC.

Principal outputs of the BDP Phase 2 will include:

• Formulated and evaluated basin-wide development scenarios;
• An IWRM-based basin strategy for the Lower Mekong Basin;
• A rolling IWRM-based Mekong Basin Development Plan;
• A portfolio of programmes and projects identified and short-listed under the BDP planning cycle;
• A planning atlas and State-of-the-Basin Report;
• Enhanced knowledge base and assessment tools within the MRC and selected national agencies;
• Enhanced capacity for IWRM-based planning and facilitation of trade-offs at MRCS and NMC levels.
  

Achievements during 2007

• The programme budget was largely secured through the funding agreements with Denmark and Sweden.
• Preparation of a concept for the rolling IWRM-based Basin Development Plan.
• The recruitment of the entire new regional BDP team. National BDP teams have also been mobilised.
• The inception report was prepared and national consultations held.
• Terms of Reference and guidelines drawn up for priority activities.

Important considerations for BDP Phase 2
The design process for the rolling IWRM-based Basin Development Plan and its elements has emphasised the following important considerations:

• All large-scale water resource development projects, and packages of significant complementary projects, will be brought into the BDP process, including planned or considered projects on the mainstream. This will enable the MRC to visibly engage in transboundary water governance, based on IWRM. The sharing of relevant plans, data and information by the member states will be critical to this process.
• Integration of the programmes and projects identified through the BDP planning cycle into national plans is essential, since development partners base their investment decisions on national priorities. Therefore, appropriate national line agencies will need to be more directly involved in the BDP planning process.

As envisaged in the MRC Strategic Plan 2006-2010, the rolling IWRM-based Basin Development Plan will serve as the plan for the Mekong Partnership Programme as proposed in the Hanoi Conference on the MRC in April 2007. The Mekong Partnership Programme, which will be owned by Mekong countries in partnership with donors, development banks, the private sector, stakeholders and NGOs, will provide a regional cooperation framework for the sustainable development of water and related resources in the Mekong River Basin.