The water resources in the Mekong basin are a valuable asset that can be used to help reduce poverty and increase national and regional growth. Ensuring that this happens in a fair manner, and that the development of one part of the river system does not impede on the benefits or rights of other water users, requires careful planning. Part of this planning process is meaningful stakeholder participation and ownership.
This page is designed to help stakeholders submit their comments and inputs to the ongoing Mekong Basin development planning process, led by the four countries in the Lower Mekong Basin.
The process of engaging with stakeholders is part of the Stakeholder Participation and Communication Plan and one of the follow-on actions agreed at the 2nd Regional Stakeholder Forum on BDP in Chiang Rai (15-17 October 2009).
Please use the form below to comment on:
Update on the progress and roadmap of the scenario assessment and the preparation of the IWRM-based Basin Development Strategy is provided on monthly basis.
Other documents on the Basin Development Plan Programme are available at the MRC/BDP website
There is a separate submissions page for eliciting public submissions on the proposed hydropower schemes on the mainstream Mekong.
Please use the form at the bottom of this page to make a submission. Your submission will be posted on the discussion webpage below and sent directly to the MRC team supporting the national Governments to: (i) complete the economic, social and environmental assessment of the development scenarios and (ii) use the outcomes of basin-wide discussions of the assessment results for the preparation of the IWRM-based Basin Development Strategy. Your submission will form an important input into the Mekong Basin development planning process.
Any member of the public, NGO, civil society organisation, government body, private business or other organisation may make a submission.
Please note: Representative extracts taken from submissions may be published by the MRC. If you do not wish to have your name attributed to any part of your submission in a public forum, please indicate that you would like to remain anonymous. Your contact information will not be shared with any third party. Submissions made under false names or pseudonyms; or that appear to be an attempt to impersonate a third party will not be considered.
Please limit your submissions to maximum of three pages. If you have additional supporting documents, such as scientific or consultant’s reports, published or peer reviewed data, photographs or other evidence, please include these as attachments to your submission via the e-mail address: chitlatda@mrcmekong.org Please ensure that these do not exceed five MB.
Submissions in this form should be made in English. If you
wish to make your submission in Cambodian, Lao, Thai or Vietnamese
languages, please do so through the e-mail address: chitlatda@mrcmekong.org
Submitted by: Mrs Padma Jayaweera
Date: 1-Mar-10, 10:56:13 PM
Subject: Other
This seems to be a multi-national project. However, in
order to alleviate poverty through participatory approach
, there should be an grass roots level instutional network
involving the ground level end users of water from the project
as well as relevant stakeholders. End users' voice is decisive
and they who face the real problems not the top level decision
makers. I suggest an institutional network based on co-operative
principles could play a vital role on sustainable basis
which is organised and managed by the people themselves.It
is a self-help organization which meets the needs of their
members for their socio-economic development.
Submitted by: Nguyen Xuan Vinh
Date: 1-Mar-10, 4:38:53 PM
Subject: Methodology for assessment of scenarios
Assessment findings seem to indicate Vietnam to be a gain state thanks to dams on the Mekong River. I don't think so.
One of my key concerns relating this subject is that: Annual
floods from the Mekong River provide large amount of rich
sediments every year in flood season to build up the Mekong
Delta and enable the delta to be productive for agriculture.
Large dams, particularly ones on the mainstreams, effectively
stop this natural process of sedimentation in the delta.
The delta would be more vulnerable to sea level rising situation
due to lesser amount of sediment supply thanks to the dams.
This important and serious impact was not mentioned and
assessed in the assessment methodology.
Submitted by: Marty Bergoffen
Date: 17-Dec-09, 3:14:44 PM
Subject: Methodology for assessment of scenarios
Table 2 Assessment criteria
The "issue" identified for 2.5 Conservation of Biodiversity is: Impacts of flow management changes on endangered species
Hydropower development requires significant other developments, such as forest clearing, roadbuilding, mining, and other large-scale industrial extraction. In addition, resettlement of local people and mitigation are likely to include increased market-based agriculture and aquaculture. Therefire, the following issues must also be considered as highly significant with regard to biodiversity: Destruction of lowland forest habitat, increased access for hunters and poachers, introduction of invasive species, use of pesticides and herbicides for aquaculture, forced changes in terrestrial migration patterns due to inundation.
Submitted by: VINH Phong
Date: 20-Nov-09, 4:57:56 PM
Subject: Public participation
As a former hydraulic Expert Engineer , I am interested by the Mekong basin development. I have read some documents downloaded on the MRCMekong site and arrive at the following conclusion:
Hydro dams in upper basin , particularly in the chinese basin, will have negative impact on the TonleSap Great Lake: reduction of the area and the duration of the floodplain. Some authors estimate this impact can reduce the capture fishery product in the Great Lake by tens percents; this eventuality is not acceptable.
One investment which can mitigate this negative impact is the building of a barrier dam at Phnom Penh. The construction of this barrier is technically and economically possible; it can give Cambodia a hydro power production of hundreds MW all year round ; it is also benificial for Viet Nam thank to a larger discharge of freshwater during the dry season and surely during the dry years.
Submitted by: FAITH C. EKPO
Date: 19-Nov-09, 9:19:32 PM
Subject: IWRM-based Basin Development Strategy
ALOT OF BASINS ARE EITHER UNDER DEVELOPED OR NOT DEVELOPED AT ALL. IN THIS CASE, IF WE WANT A GOOD BASIN DEVELOPMENT IT MUST BE INTEGRATED WITH WATER MANAGMENT RESOURCES
Submitted by: Jongdee To-im
Date: 11-Nov-09, 8:32:17 PM
Subject: IWRM-based Basin Development Strategy
I would like to use the outcomes of basin-wide discussions
of the assessment results for the preparation of the IWRM-based
Basin Development Strategy. I hope IWRM-based Basin Development
will be developed by participation engagement.