Mekong Studies Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

This study examines the implications of climate change for international affairs in Southeast Asia and for ASEAN as a multilateral organization. Climate change and efforts to mitigate climate change give rise to major risks as well as... more

This study examines the implications of climate change for international affairs in Southeast Asia and for ASEAN as a multilateral organization. Climate change and efforts to mitigate climate change give rise to major risks as well as opportunities in international affairs. It is therefore in the interest of all countries to be aware of the risks and prepare for them, and the overarching purpose of this study is to support ASEAN and its member states in this area. Given Southeast Asia’s complex geography—with numerous archipelagoes, long coastlines, intricate borders, and great-power neighbors—climate change is especially likely to affect interstate relations in the region.Climate change may impact on international affairs among the ASEAN countries at several levels. Firstly, changing climatic conditions may affect interstate relations through humanitarian crises, migration, and/or the need for greater imports of vital goods. Secondly, reducing greenhouse gas emissions requires international coordination and cooperation. Thirdly, the global energy transition driven by climate policy may lead to an altered geopolitical situation in the world, including ASEAN.

Histoire du chemin de fer des chutes de Khone (Laos)

The Mekong River, well known for its aquatic biodiversity, is important to the social, physical, and economic health of millions living in China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. This paper explores the social and... more

The Mekong River, well known for its aquatic biodiversity, is important to the social, physical, and economic health of millions living in China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. This paper explores the social and environmental impacts of several Mekong basin hydropower dams and groupings of dams and the geographies of their impacts. Specifically, we examined the 3S (Sesan, Sekong Srepok) river system in northeastern Cambodia, the Central Highlands of Vietnam, and southern Laos; the Khone Falls area in southern Laos; the lower Mun River Basin in northeastern Thailand; and the upper Mekong River in Yunnan Province, China, northeastern Myanmar, northern Laos, and northern Thailand. Evidence shows that these dams and groupings
of dams are affecting fish migrations, river hydrology, and sediment transfers. Such changes are negatively impacting riparian communities up to 1000 km away. Because many communities depend on the river and its resources for their food and livelihood, changes to the river have impacted, and will continue to negatively impact, food and economic security. While social and environmental impact assessments have been carried out for these projects, greater consideration of the scale and cumulative impacts of dams is necessary.

There has been much written about the negative social and environmental impacts of large hydropower dams, particularly the impacts on people and the environment caused by flooding linked to the creation of large reservoirs. There has also... more

There has been much written about the negative social and environmental impacts of large hydropower dams, particularly the impacts on people and the environment caused by flooding linked to the creation of large reservoirs. There has also long been recognition of the importance of Indigenous and local knowledge for understanding ecological processes and environmental impacts. In this paper, however, we focus on a topic that has received insufficient consideration: the downstream impacts of dams, and the role of Indigenous and local knowledge in assessing and addressing these impacts. Using examples from three river basins in different parts of the world: the Peace-Athabasca in Canada, the Mekong in mainland Southeast Asia, and the Amazon in Brazil, we demonstrate that the downstream impacts of hydropower dams are often neglected due to the frequently long distances between dams and impacted areas, jurisdictional boundaries, and the less obvious nature of downstream impacts. We contend that Indigenous or local knowledge, if applied consistently and appropriately, has important roles to play in understanding and addressing these impacts, with the goal of avoiding, reducing, and appropriately compensating for the types of environmental injustices that are frequently associated with the downstream impacts of dams.

This article is an overview of the work that has been conducted so far on river usage and nautical technology in the history of Angkor, and a discussion on how maritime approaches can contribute to the creation of new knowledge by opening... more

This article is an overview of the work that has been conducted so far on river usage and nautical technology in the history of Angkor, and a discussion on how maritime approaches can contribute to the creation of new knowledge by opening new lines of research that can help us reconstruct a more nuanced view of Angkor's fluvial history. Although Angkor's connection to the river network was made in the early 20th century, the compartmentalized studies that have been carried out so far on the subject of Angkor's relationship to its watery environment have resulted in interpretations that do not reflect the complexity of the subject. It will be argued here that archaeologists who do not integrate maritime approaches in studies of cultures like

Le grand poète portugais Camões est l'un des premiers Européens à avoir exploré et décrit le Mékong

An evaluation of Laos: the battery of Southeast Asia. Focussing on on the Xayaburi Dam.

Les aventures d'un marchand norvégien en Indochine au début du XXème siècle

This chapter examines the transition from state-led hydrocracies to increasingly liberalized modes of water resources development in mainland Southeast Asia, with a focus on large hydropower dams on transboundary rivers. Access to, use of... more

This chapter examines the transition from state-led hydrocracies to increasingly liberalized modes of water resources development in mainland Southeast Asia, with a focus on large hydropower dams on transboundary rivers. Access to, use of and control over water is highly politicized, and an increasingly diverse assemblage of public, private and civil society actors are involved in water governance. The region’s major rivers, including the Irrawaddy, Salween, Mekong and Red Rivers, are simultaneously seen as: engines of national and regional economic growth via hydropower and irrigated agriculture; the foundation of rural livelihoods; of significant conservation value; and as cultural cornerstones/ sacred places. The chapter shows that trends in the use of water resources cannot be decoupled from broader trends towards regional economic integration, industrialization and economic growth, and that ecosystems and biodiversity are under increasing pressure, as are the rural livelihoods that depend upon these resources. The chapter argues that whilst state agencies with water-related mandates remain important, the interests of the private sector are of growing influence, especially for large hydropower dams. The chapter concludes that as electricity and water governance are increasingly intertwined, poor transparency and accountability in electricity planning represents a significant challenge to improving water governance outcomes.

Mekong is the ganga of SE Asian Countries

This paper was first presented at Zhuhai Conference on Buddhist Culture in 2015. It is a brief history of the planning and construction of both an internet atlas as well as a 3-D Virtual Reality installation for museums. The project... more

This paper was first presented at Zhuhai Conference on Buddhist Culture in 2015. It is a brief history of the planning and construction of both an internet atlas as well as a 3-D Virtual Reality installation for museums. The project has recently received a major grant from the Australia Research Council and is being done in cooperation with University of New South Wales in Sydney and Professor Sarah Kenderdine.

The Mekong River is the largest freshwater fishery and the third most bio-diverse river system in the world. Two of 11 planned mainstream hydropower projects, Xayaburi and Don Sahong, are nearly completed and a third project proposal, Pak... more

The Mekong River is the largest freshwater fishery and the third most bio-diverse river system in the world. Two of 11 planned mainstream hydropower projects, Xayaburi and Don Sahong, are nearly completed and a third project proposal, Pak Beng, has been submitted by the Lao PDR government for consideration. This paper builds on previous studies and examines the tradeoffs (between water use, food security supply and energy production) for the proposed mainstream hydropower projects in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB). The paper concludes that the forecast loss of capture fisheries, sediment/nutrients and social mitigation costs measured as Net Present Value (NPV at 10% discount rate) are greater than the benefits from electricity generation, improved irrigation and flood control. The paper also forecasts huge negative economic impacts for Cambodia and Vietnam in contrast to previous Mekong River Commission's (MRC) conclusions that all countries will benefit from hydropower development. The paper recommends reassessing the economic impacts of hydropower development using full environmental cost accounting. It also recommends that a new LMB energy strategy be developed taking into account less hydropower income than previously anticipated, updated forecasts for LMB power demand and anticipated technology developments for improved energy efficiency & renewable energy (especially solar which is now competitive with hydropower).

Although the protective role of mangroves for coasts has been increasingly recognized, that of estuarine mangroves is less well acknowledged. The complex root, stem, and canopy system of healthy estuarine mangroves efficiently reduces the... more

Although the protective role of mangroves for coasts has been increasingly recognized, that of estuarine mangroves is less well acknowledged. The complex root, stem, and canopy system of healthy estuarine mangroves efficiently reduces the impact of a strong, along-bank flow during high tides and high river discharge, protecting the riverbank from eroding. If a sediment source is available, a healthy mangrove forest also offers a higher potential for sedimentation to compensate for sea-level rise. Unfortunately, along the Mekong, Vietnam, estuaries, mangroves have been rapidly destroyed. In many regions, estuarine mangroves have degraded into narrow strips of ,50 m. Riverbanks at those locations are eroding at a rate of 2–4 m y À1. The main reason for this ''estuarine mangrove squeeze'' phenomenon is due to the increasing demand to create more space for local fish farming. Hence, squeeze is used in a broader sense than in the context of sea-level rise impact alone. The hypothesis is that there is a critical minimum width for an estuarine mangrove forest strip to maintain its ability to survive. The analysis of available data, both from literature and from satellite observations, supports the hypothesis: An average critical width for Mekong estuaries was found to be approximately 80 m. To obtain insight into the efficiency of a mangrove forest in reducing the impacts of alongshore flow, the state-of-the-art Delft3D model was applied to the data. The model showed that the penetration-length scale of the shear layer into a mangrove forest requires a certain minimum space to develop fully. It is hypothesized that the minimum width of a mangrove forest, which equals this maximum penetration-length scale, has a crucial role for the health of a mangrove system. ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS: Riverbank erosion, fish farm, critical width, flow penetration.

ยศ สันตสมบัติ • อรัญญา ศิริผล รายงานวิจัยชิ้นนี้เป็นการศึกษาเปรียบเทียบสวนยางพาราขนาดใหญ่ และสวนยางรายย่อย โดยพิจารณาผลกระทบทางสังคมวัฒนธรรม เศรษฐกิจ และสภาพแวดล้อม ของการขยายตัวของยางพาราต่อชุมชนท้องถิ่น ในกัมพูชา ลาว... more

ยศ สันตสมบัติ • อรัญญา ศิริผล
รายงานวิจัยชิ้นนี้เป็นการศึกษาเปรียบเทียบสวนยางพาราขนาดใหญ่
และสวนยางรายย่อย โดยพิจารณาผลกระทบทางสังคมวัฒนธรรม เศรษฐกิจ
และสภาพแวดล้อม ของการขยายตัวของยางพาราต่อชุมชนท้องถิ่น
ในกัมพูชา ลาว และภาคเหนือของไทย รายงานนี้เสนอว่าไตรภาคีแห่งพลัง
การปิดล้อมข้ามชาติ อันประกอบไปด้วยรัฐ เสรีนิยมใหม่ และทุนนิยม
ชายขอบ สนธิกำลังกันเพื่อปิดล้อมทรัพยากรธรรมชาติในลุ่มน้ำโขง
พื้นที่ป่าอันอุดมสมบูรณ์ถูกโค่นเพื่อขยายพื้นที่ปลูกยางพารา ส่งผลให้เกิด
ปัญหาหน้าดินพังทลาย การลดลงของพื้นที่ป่ายังทำให้ความหลากหลาย
ทางชีวภาพและความมั่นคงทางอาหารของเกษตรกรรายย่อยตกต่ำลง ราคา
ยางพาราที่ยังอยู่ในระดับสูงอย่างต่อเนื่องอาจให้ผลดีต่อเกษตรกรที่มี
ฐานะดี มีหลักทรัพย์และเข้าถึงสินเชื่อสำหรับการลงทุนได้ แต่ในทาง
กลับกัน เราพบว่าเกษตรกรรายย่อยซึ่งเข้าสู่เศรษฐกิจยางพารา ผ่านระบบ
เกษตรพันธสัญญา กำลังเผชิญหน้ากับความเสี่ยงในการสูญเสียที่ดิน
และกลายเป็นแรงงานไร้ที่ดินเพิ่มขึ้น
The research is a comparative study of large-scale and small-scale rubber plantation and its socio-cultural, economic and
environmental impacts on local communities in Cambodia, Northern Laos and Northern Thailand. It is proposed that the triadic forces of transnational enclosure, namely the state, neo-liberalism and frontier capitalism, are at work in the Mekong region. Forest land are cleared to pave way for rubber plantation. In addition to increasing threat of landslide, rapid forestland clearance leads to decreasing biodiversity and food security for small farmers. High price of rubber could be beneficial to rich and well-to-do farmers with credits and assets ready to make investment. Conversely, poor farmers who are ushered into rubber economy through contract farming system are at risk of losing the land and become landless wage laborer.

There are currently over 60 tributary and mainstream dams planned or under construction in Lao PDR with 95% of the electricity from these dams slated to be exported to neighbouring countries. In the Mekong basin, the structure of the Thai... more

There are currently over 60 tributary and mainstream dams planned or under construction in Lao PDR with 95% of the electricity from these dams slated to be exported to neighbouring countries. In the Mekong basin, the structure of the Thai energy sector – the country's lack of domestic hydropower development and the current and planned power purchase agreements between Thailand and Laos – differentiates Thailand from other regional investors. Using a political ecology approach, this paper examines how powerful state and private actors from within Thailand and Lao PDR mobilise power to control the benefits from hydropower while the social and environmental impacts are largely ignored, thereby constituting a form of water grabbing. The analysis shows that the structure and politics of the Thai electricity sector, private-sector profiteering and a strong domestic civil society are driving Thailand's hydropower investment in neighbouring Laos. Thai investments are enabled by Laos' weak enforcement of laws, a lack of capacity to regulate development, the existence of corruption and a tightly controlled state. These drivers and enabling factors combine with short-term economic focused regional development to create opportunities for water grabbing. The winners of this water grabbing are the powerful actors who control the benefits, while the losers, local livelihoods and the environment, are negatively impacted.

The first English translation of author George Groslier's 2,000 km Mekong River journeys to inspect Buddhist pagodas in 1929 French Indochina. The renowned artist, writer and historian was the quintessential witness to colonial Cambodia.... more

The first English translation of author George Groslier's 2,000 km Mekong River journeys to inspect Buddhist pagodas in 1929 French Indochina. The renowned artist, writer and historian was the quintessential witness to colonial Cambodia. This new fully illustrated edition includes supplemental appendices and the complete original French text.

The Mekong Ganga Initiative by the government of India

Bien que le père du futur Bouddha eût tout fait pour que son fils ne fit pas l'expérience de la souffrance, le jeune prince finit par la découvrir au bout même de son confort. A en croire les textes, il formula même un diagnostic sévère... more

Bien que le père du futur Bouddha eût tout fait pour que son fils ne fit pas l'expérience de la souffrance, le jeune prince finit par la découvrir au bout même de son confort. A en croire les textes, il formula même un diagnostic sévère sur l'existence dont la forme peut être rapprochée d'un diagnostic médical. L'histoire du bouddhisme peut être vue comme une oscillation entre deux pôles: d'un côté la normalité de la mort, de l'autre, l'obligation de la compassion universelle

Sungai Mekong menunjukan hubungan tidak stabil dan kompleks diantara masing-masing negara tepian dengan berbedaan kepentingan didalamnya, ditambah sejarah konfliktual dimasa lalu. Berakhirnya Perang Dingin menjadi sejarah baru negara... more

Sungai Mekong menunjukan hubungan tidak stabil dan kompleks diantara masing-masing negara tepian dengan berbedaan kepentingan didalamnya, ditambah sejarah konfliktual dimasa lalu. Berakhirnya Perang Dingin menjadi sejarah baru negara tepian untuk melakukan pembangunan kembali wilayah Mekong dengan membentuk kerjasama Greater Mekong Subregional (GMS). GMS menerapkan sistem pembagian keuntungan dalam mengembangkan potensi sungai melalui berbagai proyek yang berhubungan dengan air dan pemanfaatannya bahkan diluar isu tersebut, sehingga semua pihak mendapatkan keuntungan bersama.
Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa sejak dibuatnya kerjasama GMS hubungan negara tepian Mekong terus menunjukan hubungan yang kooperatif, melalui histogram BAR terlihat bahwa terdapat 56 kasus kerjasama dan 9 kasus ketegangan atau konflik selama periode 2002-2013. Dan berdasarkan variabel dalam sistem pembagian keuntungan, yang terbagi menjadi pembagian manfaat dan biaya, kerjasama GMS menunjukan pembagian manfaat benefits beyond the river sedangkan pembagian biaya yaitu direct payment for water use, direct payment for benefits, purchase, financing and ownership arrangements dan broadened bundle of benefits, terlihat bahwa direct Payment for Water Use dan benefits menjadi variabel yang tidak diterapkan pada kerjasama GMS.

The concept of long-lived (ancient) lakes has had a great influence on the development of evolutionary biogeography. According to this insight, a number of lakes on Earth have existed for several million years (e.g., Baikal and... more

The concept of long-lived (ancient) lakes has had a great influence on the development of evolutionary biogeography. According to this insight, a number of lakes on Earth have existed for several million years (e.g., Baikal and Tanganyika) and represent unique evolutionary hotspots with multiple intra-basin radiations. In contrast, rivers are usually considered to be variable systems, and the possibility of their long-term existence during geological epochs has never been tested. In this study, we reconstruct the history of freshwater basin interactions across continents based on the multi-locus fossil-calibrated phylogeny of freshwater mussels (Unionidae). These mussels most likely originated in Southeast and East Asia in the Jurassic, with the earliest expansions into North America and Africa (since the mid-Cretaceous) following the colonization of Europe and India (since the Paleocene). We discovered two ancient monophyletic mussel radiations (mean age ~51–55 Ma) within the paleo-Mekong catchment (i.e., the Mekong, Siam, and Malacca Straits paleo-river drainage basins). Our findings reveal that the Mekong may be considered a long-lived river that has existed throughout the entire Cenozoic epoch.

Questo articolo intende fornire un contributo all'analisi di una delle categorie di lavoratori, i piroguiers laotiani, cioè i rematori delle canoe (pirogues) che, durante il periodo coloniale francese, venivano impiegate per il trasporto... more

Questo articolo intende fornire un contributo all'analisi di una delle categorie di lavoratori, i piroguiers laotiani, cioè i rematori delle canoe (pirogues) che, durante il periodo coloniale francese, venivano impiegate per il trasporto fluviale di merci, armi, e posta nei fiumi del Laos. In un territorio in cui la mobilità era garantita soprattutto dalla navigazione fluviale di piccole imbarcazioni a remi, i piroguiers ebbero un ruolo essenziale. Sulla base dello studio dei documenti coloniali francesi, l'analisi si concentra sulla descrizione delle tecniche di lavoro, sui metodi di reclutamento adottati dagli armatori privati francesi e dalle autorità coloniali. Dallo studio emergono forme di sfruttamento e difficoltà di ogni sorta che i lavoratori avevano subito in maniera continuativa durante il loro impiego. A queste, i lavoratori, sostenuti dalle comunità locali dei loro villaggi, rispondevano con azioni di protesta e di opposizione collettive, causando seri danni economici alle imprese francesi e fastidi alle autorità coloniali.

In Northern Thailand's Chiang Khong district, which lies along the banks of the Mekong River and the Thai-Lao border, an community-based environmental movement under the leadership of the Rak Chiang Khong conservation group emerged in... more

In Northern Thailand's Chiang Khong district, which lies along the banks of the Mekong River and the Thai-Lao border, an community-based environmental movement under the leadership of the Rak Chiang Khong conservation group emerged in response to processes that have appropriated territories traditionally used by locals for state-led economic exploitation. The Rak Chiang Khong has put up fierce opposition to large-scale development projects such as the China-led navigation project, which planned to blast ecologically and culturally significant rapids, and hydropower dam development along the Mekong River. As a result, local-level gover-nance arrangements of the transboundary commons in Chiang Khong have shifted to counter threats both within and beyond the borders of Thailand. Through adapting fishing arrangements, engaging in community-led research and establishing village conservation zones, overlapping forms of territorialisation have emerged in response to socio-ecological changes to the river. These new forms of territorialisation are produced by complex configurations of political, cultural, and ecological histories, political-economic changes, and transboundary dynamics. These territorial strategies have been key towards reclaiming the transboundary commons of the Mekong River for riparian communities, and providing a deeper understanding of the values that drive community involvement in the transboundary environmental governance of the Mekong River.

In recent decades, scientists have developed a wide array of hydrological, hydrodynamic, and other models to understand the dynamics of the Mekong river basin. Indeed, the area has been described as ‘flooded’ with models. Drawing on STS... more

In recent decades, scientists have developed a wide array of hydrological, hydrodynamic, and other models to understand the dynamics of the Mekong river basin. Indeed, the area has been described as ‘flooded’ with models. Drawing on STS and the philosophy of modeling – which has described models as mediating instruments – the first half of this paper discusses how and why this proliferation has occurred, focusing on the Cambodian context. Highlighting that models are developed comparatively, with reference to one another, the analysis shows how they have generated a partially connected ecology of comparisons. As each model makes its own image of the Mekong, the ecology as a whole creates a kaleidoscopic effect. In principle, this ecology is important for that of environmental policy-making. In practice, however, it is tremendously difficult for scientists to bridge the ecologies. Examining two cases of NGO-based modeling aiming to influence policy, the second half of the paper offers a comparative analysis of the challenges modeling knowledge faces in Mekong environmental politics.

According to the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)’s research program on water, land, and ecosystems, there are 241 completed dams in the Mekong basin, while 29 are presently under construction and 91 more... more

According to the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)’s research program on water, land, and ecosystems, there are 241 completed dams in the Mekong basin, while 29 are presently under construction and 91 more are being planned. The majority will be located in Laos, which envisions a future as the “battery of South-east Asia.” However, many dams are also planned in Cambodia, since a cheap, steady supply of electricity is prerequisite for luring foreign companies into the country’s special economic zones (see also Jensen 2017). Along the Mekong, electrified futures are everywhere on the agenda. At the same time, the Mekong region is estimated to be one of the areas in the world most vulnerable to climate change.
Since Mekong basin transformations are widely seen to be due to the double process of dam building and climate change, which together
change water flows, ecologies, and livelihoods in numerous, partly unpredictable ways, there are good empirical reasons for connecting the concerns of the anthropology of electricity with those of the anthropology of the anthropocene. However, there are also more general analytical reasons for examining these issues in conjunction. For one thing, is well established that there are multiple links between modern forms of energy consumption and the emergence of the anthropocene (Boyer 2015; Lewis and Maslin 2015; Mitchell 2013). Further, both the anthropology of electricity and energy and of the anthropocene are currently posing the question of how to address the powers of nonhumans, from electrical currents to changing river flows. Moreover, the efforts to bring nonhuman agency, or ‘thing-power’ into the analytical picture tend in both cases rely on a similar set of ideas, affiliated with new materialism and object-oriented ontologies. Consequently, the Mekong basin offers something like an ideal test-site for the promises and limitations of these approaches.
The chapter explores these issues through a consideration of the nonhuman agency expressed in and through hydrological models – used to predict the effect of hydropower dams and climate change -- and the relation between these forms of agency and those of the people who develop and use them.

The article analyses the current and possible future development of social protection systems in three Mekong countries: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam. The three countries are at differing levels of development but face a number of... more

The article analyses the current and possible future development of social protection systems in three Mekong countries: Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam. The three countries are at differing levels of development but face a number of shared challenges including poverty and malnutrition, climate change and food price volatility. Their social protection systems range from an embryonic system in Laos to an ‘emerging’ system in Viet Nam. Following an overview of the three countries and their social protection systems (drawing on the ADB comparative Social Protection Index), we discuss in detail the social protection system in each country, the impact of that system and the role and impact of development partners. This section also looks at key future developments. Part 3 discusses a number of key challenges facing social protection systems and part 4 concludes with a discussion on the possible future directions in social protection in the region.

The seasonal migration of the catfish Pangasius macronema is the basis of an economically and culturally important household-oriented fishery in the Hou Sahong channel, Khone Falls, southern Lao PDR. Three communities capture P. macronema... more

The seasonal migration of the catfish Pangasius macronema is the basis of an economically and culturally important household-oriented fishery in the Hou Sahong channel, Khone Falls, southern Lao PDR. Three communities capture P. macronema as the fish move upstream through Hou Sahong channel in April and May. These communities have developed several fishing systems with traditionally established user rights over particular areas of water. Current plans to develop hydropower in Hou Sahong channel threaten the fishery for P. macronema. The dam will flood fishing sites and negatively impact fish migrations.

The Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) completed twenty years in 2020. The MGC initiative is a sub-regional cooperation organisation comprising India and five ASEAN countries, namely, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. To... more

The Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) completed twenty years in 2020. The MGC initiative is a sub-regional cooperation organisation comprising India and five ASEAN countries, namely, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. To commemorate the 20 years of establishment of MGC, the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) in collaboration with the ASEAN-India Centre (AIC) at Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) organised an international conference entitled "Twenty Years of Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC)" on 5-6 November 2020 at New Delhi in virtual mode. This volume is an outcome of the aforesaid conference and examines the connected past, present, and future of MGC. This commemorative volume presents a selected set of papers, which were presented at the aforesaid conference. Although the economic engagements between India and Mekong have been limited, there is further scope to scale up our economic relations. This volume shows the path to strengthen the MGC partnership in the third decade of its establishment. This book will serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, research scholars, practitioners and regional cooperation specialists.