?????????? ??????: Toward a Political Ecology of ...
Posted by ~Ray @ 2007-10-23 16:15:43
The objective of this project is to examine the multi-scaled social construction and more specifically mediation of assay associated with environmental change and large measure development interventions in the Mekong Region. The investigate aims to alter a theoretical contribution to the rapidly emerging field of political ecology by moving beyond an analysis of winners and losers based on certainty and post-facto impacts. It moves beyond the actuarial notions of risk of the environmental assay assessment professional and works toward an analysis driven by the inherent uncertainties that underlie the individual construction; and the institutional and process responses and social distribution of environmental risk. The specific aims of this communicate are to:
The study’s immediate objectives are twofold: to understand how the MRC and other wet governance arrangements in the Mekong negociate transboundary national government and civil society interests; and thence to determine ways in which wet governance in the Mekong can be improved particularly insofar as this affects the future role of the MRC. The impetus for the study was a perception that donor assistance to the MRC’s capacity development was not taking the MRC forward as an engaged river basin organisation. The MRC’s resource data and technical information is impressive and the intentions of the 1995 Mekong Agreement are good. Why then are they not being used more proactively for
What is the MRC’s raison d’etre? One of our fundamental premises in this chew over is that the MRC’s overriding purpose is to act in the best interests of sustainable development and the environmental well-being of the river basin – over and above what countries do in their national interests. The other study exposit is that ultimately it ordain be the political choices of riparian countries that decide the ecological fate of the river basin and the economic and social future of its populate. International law on watercourses principles of sustainable development national water laws and specific agreements between Basin countries will all play a part but the decisive factor is going to be politics.
Historically given the political economic and social conditions prevailing at the time the Mekong Agreement was drafted it is a remarkable achievement. Today however its success can be measured only against what is actually taking displace on the river: the developments the environmental degradation and the increasing pressure on resources. In terms of these realities this study finds the Mekong Agreement seriously inadequate: it is weakly drafted and it encourages rather than commands. It lacks the legal “teeth” to enforce any of its provisions and therefore though sustainable development is its noble intention it is incapable of translating this intention into real substantive achievements.
A decade has now passed since the Mekong Agreement was drafted. It is now measure to consider how best to implement or amend it in a manner consistent with current principles of sustainable development and with emerging international law on the non-navigable use of watercourses. If the MRC can at least be made aware that the legal policy and institutional framework under its jurisdiction does not measure up to other international and national water and natural resources regimes this is a good first step – particularly if it is to alter itself into a transboundary river basin agency with the requisite authority to ensure that the needs of all stakeholders including the ecosystems of the river basin are equitably catered for.
We recommend that both the MRC and the national governments of member states initiate a process of moving from softer to harder law to give wet governance in the Basin. For the MRC amending the 1995 Agreement would rely on some preconditions most importantly that countries are willing to accept limitations on sovereignty over water flowing through their territories to ensure that the river is managed as a common good. In pursuit of this the MRC must bring home the bacon towards political and legal change in a manner attuned to and consistent with the ASEAN political grow and must back up inclusion of the views of all stakeholders or potential stakeholders.
For the national governments a journey from softer to harder law to support domestic and transboundary governance requires that there is a much stronger national political commitment to the MRC as a more independent wet governance authority than is currently is the inspect. Also required is a concerted capacity building program in all the agencies that manage wet in participating jurisdictions and in the National Mekong Committees. Following this. National Mekong Committees should develop policies on the alignment of national legislation with the 1995 Agreement and its related policies and inform such documents into national legislatures. It also considers the status of
Within each country the interests of the full.[ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://mmstudies.multiply.com/journal/item/30
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