Description

1. Water resources development – Environmental aspects – Mekong River Basin. 2. Water resources development – Mekong River Basin.

 Natural resources and ecosystem services have been seriously undervalued in development planning in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB), which spans Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Intensive agriculture has initially led to higher yields, a lower poverty rate, and economic growth. However, it is destroying the very resources it needs, such as water. The excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has contaminated soils and threatened critical inland fisheries. Significant coastal erosion, soil salinity, and deteriorating marine ecosystems and climate change add to an urgent need to take into account the value of ecosystem resources to improve policy-making. This volume presents up-to-date case studies and surveys trends and challenges for natural resource-based livelihoods by researchers and institutes collaborating across the LMB under the Lower Mekong Public Policy Initiative. Its recommendations include: coordinating national and trans-boundary water governance along the Mekong River; pursuing alternatives to massive hydropower expansion for Lao PDR; harnessing renewable energy for efficient and less polluting electricity generation in Vietnam; a fund to improve the health and yields of shrimp in aquaculture; diversifying mixed rice and aquaculture fishing systems for economic sustainability and better incomes; improving choices, processing and markets for Cambodian rice farmers; adapting a national rural development program in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta; recognizing the adverse impacts of economic corridors on vulnerable forest-dependent populations; acknowledging, and supporting women in their changing economic roles; and empowering local government to help local communities deal with problems caused by a private rubber land concession in Cambodia.