The Mekong River Commission: Indicators of Successful Regime Strengthening

International environmental regimes seek to create a sense of interdependence and community in order to solve transboundary issues of resource use and pollution. Regimes are a natural fit for transboundary water management and development. Water is a classic example of how states are forced to cooperate with each other. Shlomi Dinar argues, “When rivers and other bodies of water traverse or divide countries, transboundary externalities often produce conflict” (Dinar, 2008 1). Waterbodies respect no political boundaries and international water law and policy has emerged over hundreds of years to address the issues of water governance and transboundary conflict (Hildering, 2004 44). This conflict provides a medium for cooperation, a cooperation that almost always takes form in a treaty or regime (Dinar, 2008 1). The Mekong River Commission (MRC) is an international environmental regime that promotes regional cooperation and sustainable development in the Mekong River Basin (MRB) of Southeast Asia. My research asks what have been the effects of the organization over its 17-year history and analyzes the political and environmental impacts of those effects. My analysis uses the logic model, created by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), to track the growth and development of the MRC over time. Using the framework of the logic model, my research argues that though effects of the MRC appear marginal and information-based, the organization is following a positive trajectory toward ultimate goal realization.