Mekong -- the word evokes images of rice fields, memories of war. Many recognize the river's name, but few people outside of Asia realize its international character or the important role it is destined to play in the development of the countries along its banks.

The world's twelfth longest river rises in the distant Tibetan plateau, five kilometres above sea level. For almost half its 4,880-kilometre journey it tumbles through the dramatic gorges of China's Yunnan Province. Tempered by its 4,500 metre descent, it winds southward to border Burma, Laos, and Thailand. Finally, the great river flows through Cambodia and the south of Vietnam, where it divides into the fertile fingers of the Mekong Delta to be swallowed by the South China sea.

During the long decades of war and isolationism in Southeast Asia, the Mekong served the simple needs of the peoples of all six nations along its banks. With peace in the region, most countries along the Mekong are scrambling to catch up with their more developed neighbours. Development could mean hydroelectric power, irrigation for farms, fish for the markets and access to river transport for trade. Suddenly, all eyes are on the Mekong.

The Mekong has no major cities or industries, nor a single dam or bridge on the mainstream. The fifty million people who live along it are among the poorest in the world. But development, even a small dam or factory, could have a significant impact on people living upstream or downstream.

Developing an international river is a complicated business. Damming sections of the Mekong, deforesting certain watersheds or building factories would have an enormous impact on the downstream populations that rely upon it for irrigation, fishing, transport and drinking water. With so many people directly dependent on the river and millions more weighing the costs and benefits of future hydroelectric and irrigation projects, the Mekong's development will require unprecedented regional cooperation and planning.

The Law of the Sea governs the world's oceans, but there is no parallel international law to monitor freshwater systems. Nor was there a forum for all of the Mekong's six countries to meet and identify the issues regarding Southeast Asia's longest river until Canada brought them together in 1991.

IDRC's role as catalyst in the establishment of the Mekong Research Network is historic. Only a few years ago, regional cooperation on this or any other scale seemed impossible. Persuading the six countries to join in discussions was a remarkable achievement in itself. Canada was perhaps the ideal country to bring the Mekong countries together. As a nation with no political axes to grind in Asia and respected throughout the region, Canada was probably the only G-7 member acceptable to all the countries involved. The endorsement of Canada as the catalyst in the Mekong Network made IDRC's task much easier.

The IDRC initiative built upon an existing effort to bring together the four countries of the lower Mekong (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam). This formal "Mekong Committee" was set up in 1957 but the Khmer Rouge withdrew Cambodia in 1975. An interim committee kept the three remaining countries working together until a new agreement regrouping all four countries was signed in February.

IDRC sponsored a planning seminar in Bangkok in 1991. The participants agreed to establish the Mekong Development Research Network (MDRN). The non-governmental organization met for the first time in May 1992. Its primary objective is to provide a new forum for cooperative effort among the Mekong countries so that water resources can be better utilized and the Mekong ecosystem better preserved to improve the quality of life for the peoples along its banks.

All six participants agreed that the top priority must be preserving the ecosystem and preventing water pollution. It was recognized that the Mekong is a common resource that must be harnessed collectively, and that this cooperation would contribute to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Mekong countries.

By keeping the Network informal and non-political, IDRC hopes that the people living along the river can be treated as one community rather than as a collection of national and political entities. Focusing on research issues instead of official ones may help cut some red tape. Ideally, consensus at the NGO level will generate feedback to policy makers and bureaucrats. The MDRN is IDRC's most challenging, complex and ambitious undertaking to date. The six countries have no tradition of working together. In fact, their agendas are widely divergent.

Thailand, the most economically advanced of the Mekong countries, will see its electricity requirements double between 1988 and 1996 to 11,066 megawatts. It is eyeing the Mekong to irrigate the arid northeastern province, which contains almost half the country's arable land. The amount of irrigated farmland in Cambodia has fallen by 80% over the past 20 years. Its irrigation systems have been largely destroyed by the war. The north of the country has enormous hydroelectric potential, yet its cities still rely entirely on fuel-driven generators for power.

About 50% of the lower Mekong's hydroelectric potential is located in Laos, which is the country least able to utilize it. Only about 1% of Laos' 800,000 hectares of arable land are irrigated.

In the decade since 1980, Vietnam has doubled its rice production to about 10 million tonnes and became the world's third largest rice exporter in 1990. The crop, grown in the Mekong Delta, could be compromised by upriver diversion. And since opening its borders to foreign investment and industry, Vietnam expects its electricity requirements to increase dramatically in the next few years.

China's Yunnan province regards the Mekong as a major link between its diverse ethnic minorities. Under-developed and isolated, Yunnan plans to harness the river to provide power for the province's industrial development.

All six countries have identified the need for dams for irrigation and hydroelectric power. But dams displace people and wildlife, and drown forests. An increased electricity supply attracts potentially polluting industry. Perhaps most importantly, development of the river will have an immediate impact on the local populations while most of the benefits will go to distant cities.

The MDRN is undertaking a state-of-the-art survey of the Mekong mainstream and its tributaries to identify research, development and preservation activities. Research will soon begin on trade and tourism potential, which could result in higher living standards and increased employment alternatives for the riparian people. Subsequent studies will target environmental issues.

Waterway transportation also merits study. The Mekong is navigable from the Delta to Khone Falls near the Lao Cambodian border, and north of the Falls through much of Laos to South Yunnan. Two thirds of Laos' foreign trade crosses the Mekong from Thailand every year. An Australian-funded bridge across the Mekong between Thailand and Laos will soon be built.

IDRC's ambition is to build bridges of common interests and understanding. With Canada's support, the six countries along the Mekong River are moving toward resolving concerns that have until now hindered regional cooperation. They recognize a unique opportunity to develop their shared resources for mutual prosperity and improve the lives of the 50 million people who live and work along her banks.

IDRC Reports is published weekly on-line by the International Development Research Centre.
Its aim is to keep an international readership informed about the work IDRC supports in developing countries as well as other development issues of interest.

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