Water, Land and Ecosystems - Cambodia

Are water markets a viable proposition in the Lower Mekong Basin?

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 11:36:32 +0000

TypeBook Chapter

Languageen

Authors

Reardon-Smith, K.
McCartney, Matthew
Rebelo, Lisa-Maria

Water markets are a potential approach for reallocating and improving the efficiency of water use in river basins in which water resources are under stress as a consequence of demographic and economic pressures. However, establishing water markets is not easy and to be successful a wide range of context specific criteria, relating to the legal and institutional framework as well as political and economic conditions, must be met. We applied the Water Market Readiness Assessment framework proposed by Wheeler et al. (2017) to investigate whether adequate policy and governance arrangements were in place to enable water markets to effectively operate in the countries of the Lower Mekong River Basin. We identify a number of key gaps and conclude that more conventional regulatory approaches, along with integrated basin planning and management, will likely better serve the communities and environments of the region.

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Reardon-Smith, K.; McCartney, Matthew; Rebelo, Lisa-Maria. 2021. Are water markets a viable proposition in the Lower Mekong Basin? In Wheeler, S. A. (Ed.). Water markets: a global assessment. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. pp.91-111. [doi: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788976930.00015]

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/115184

Fish for whom?: Integrating the management of social complexities into technical investments for inclusive, multi-functional irrigation

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 11:37:09 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Duncan, N.
Silva, Sanjiv de
Conallin, J.
Freed, S.
Akester, M.
Baumgartner, L.
McCartney, Matthew
Dubois, M.
Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali

Irrigation represents a long-standing water sector investment in South East Asia. However, despite the undeniable benefits of food production, an irrigation/rice-centric strategy is insufficient in a multi-dimensional conceptualisation of development. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) challenge us to re-think traditional ways of achieving food security. Central to this challenge is how we can retain multi-functionality within landscapes. We explore the often negatively correlated relationship between irrigation and inland fisheries through a literature review and interviews with key informants, focusing on examples from Myanmar and Cambodia. We found that whilst technical options exist for minimizing irrigation impacts on fisheries, there is a fundamental disconnect between the technical application of such ‘solutions’, and distribution of benefits to the marginal groups that SDGs 1, 2, 3 and more target. We found that insufficient recognition of the social contexts in which solutions are applied underpins this disconnect. This means that technical infrastructure design needs to be organised around the question, ‘Who do we want to benefit?’, if investments are to go beyond rice/fish production and deliver more on socially inclusive food security and livelihood opportunities. This paper is a call to extend the framing and financing of irrigation investments beyond technical parameters to include investing in the social processes that enable both multi-functionality and inclusive growth, to enhance the role of irrigation in adapting to a changing climate, while maintaining landscape integrity and multi-functionality so necessary for a sustainable future.

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Duncan, N.; de Silva, Sanjiv; Conallin, J.; Freed, S.; Akester, M.; Baumgartner, L.; McCartney, Matthew; Dubois, M.; Senaratna Sellamuttu, Sonali. 2021. Fish for whom?: Integrating the management of social complexities into technical investments for inclusive, multi-functional irrigation. World Development Perspectives, 22:100318. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wdp.2021.100318]

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Variability, Risks and Competing Uses

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/113834

Maintaining diversity of integrated rice and fish production confers adaptability of food systems to global change

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 11:34:59 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Freed, S.
Barman, B.
Dubois, M.
Flor, R. J.
Funge-Smith, S.
Gregory, R.
Hadi, B. A. R.
Halwart, M.
Haque, M.
Jagadish, S. V. K.
Joffre, Olivier M.
Karim, M.
Kura, Y.
McCartney, Matthew
Mondal, M.
Nguyen, V. K.
Sinclair, Fergus L.
Stuart, A. M.
Tezzo, X.
Yadav, S.
Cohen, P. J.

Rice and fish are preferred foods, critical for healthy and nutritious diets, and provide the foundations of local and national economies across Asia. Although transformations, or “revolutions,” in agriculture and aquaculture over the past half-century have primarily relied upon intensified monoculture to increase rice and fish production, agroecological approaches that support biodiversity and utilize natural processes are particularly relevant for achieving a transformation toward food systems with more inclusive, nutrition-sensitive, and ecologically sound outcomes. Rice and fish production are frequently integrated within the same physical, temporal, and social spaces, with substantial variation amongst the types of production practice and their extent. In Cambodia, rice field fisheries that strongly rely upon natural processes persist in up to 80% of rice farmland, whereas more input and infrastructure dependent rice-shrimp culture is expanding within the rice farmland of Vietnam. We demonstrate how a diverse suite of integrated production practices contribute to sustainable and nutrition-sensitive food systems policy, research, and practice. We first develop a typology of integrated production practices illustrating the nature and degree of: (a) fish stocking, (b) water management, (c) use of synthetic inputs, and (d) institutions that control access to fish. Second, we summarize recent research and innovations that have improved the performance of each type of practice. Third, we synthesize data on the prevalence, outcomes, and trajectories of these practices in four South and Southeast Asian countries that rely heavily on fish and rice for food and nutrition security. Focusing on changes since the food systems transformation brought about by the Green Revolution, we illustrate how integrated production practices continue to serve a variety of objectives to varying degrees: food and nutrition security, rural livelihood diversification and income improvement, and biodiversity conservation. Five shifts to support contemporary food system transformations [i.e., disaggregating (1) production practices and (2) objectives, (3) utilizing diverse metrics, (4) valuing emergent, place-based innovation, (5) building adaptive capacity] would accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 2, specifically through ensuring ecosystem maintenance, sustainable food production, and resilient agricultural practices with the capacity to adapt to global change.

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Freed, S.; Barman, B.; Dubois, M.; Flor, R. J.; Funge-Smith, S.; Gregory, R.; Hadi, B. A. R.; Halwart, M.; Haque, M.; Jagadish, S. V. K.; Joffre, O. M.; Karim, M.; Kura, Y.; McCartney, Matthew; Mondal, M.; Nguyen, V. K.; Sinclair, F.; Stuart, A. M.; Tezzo, X.; Yadav, S.; Cohen, P. J. 2020. Maintaining diversity of integrated rice and fish production confers adaptability of food systems to global change. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 4:576179. [doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2020.576179]

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Research Themes

Variability, Risks and Competing Uses

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/110124

WLE focal region brief: WLE greater Mekong

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeBrief

Subjects

Ecosystems
Governance
Water Management
Water use

Languageen

Authors

CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems

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Citation

CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE).2015.WLE focal region brief: WLE greater Mekong.Colombo, Sri Lanka:CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE).2p.

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/68828

Solutions

Water productivity responses and adaptation to climate change in the Lower Mekong Basin

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Mainuddin, M.
Kirby, M.
Hoanh, Chu Thai

A crop growth simulation model was used to study the impact of climate change for the period 2010-2050 on water productivity of rainfed rice. In general, the results suggest that water productivity of rainfed rice may increase significantly in the upper basin in Laos and Thailand and may decrease in the lower basin in Cambodia and Vietnam. Significant net increases in water productivity can be achieved by applying simple adaptation options such as shifting the planting dates, applying supplementary irrigation, and increasing fertilizer inputs.

Citation

Mainuddin, M.; Kirby, M.; Hoanh, Chu Thai. 2012. Water productivity responses and adaptation to climate change in the Lower Mekong Basin. Water International, 37(1):53-74. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2012.645192

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/40365

Environmental impact assessment: theory, practice and implications for Mekong hydropower debate

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Campbell, Lauren
Suhardiman, Diana
Giordano, Mark
McCornick, Peter G.

Hydropower development in the Lower Mekong Basin is occurring at a rapid pace. With partial funding from international financial institutions has come pressure on the riparian governments to ensure that the potential environmental and social impacts of hydropower projects are properly considered. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is one of the primary environmental management tools being proposed to fulfill these obligations. This article highlights some of the challenges that are inherent in applying EIA in the Mekong context through critical analysis of both its conceptual and institutional aspects. The main argument of the article is that while EIA application indicates a certain degree of environmental consideration, it is not necessarily sufficient to ensure good environmental practices. Lending institutions such as the World Bank have identified lack of implementation capacity as the biggest constraint to effective EIAs. Focusing on Laos, we show how EIA application should be equipped with necessary institutional arrangements and a transparent public participation process. This will ultimately require a shift within the region to allow environmental and social issues to be given significant weight.

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Campbell, L.; Suhardiman, Diana; Giordano, M.; McCornick, Peter. 2015. Environmental impact assessment: theory, practice and implications for Mekong hydropower debate. International Journal of Water Governance, 4:93-116. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.7564/14-IJWG65

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Research Themes

Variability, Risks and Competing Uses

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/72559

Regional assessment of groundwater recharge in the lower Mekong Basin

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Lacombe, Guillaume
Douangsavanh, Somphasith
Vongphachanh, S.
Pavelic, Paul

Groundwater recharge remains almost totally unknown across the Mekong River Basin, hindering the evaluation of groundwater potential for irrigation. A regional regression model was developed to map groundwater recharge across the Lower Mekong Basin where agricultural water demand is increasing, especially during the dry season. The model was calibrated with baseflow computed with the local-minimum flow separation method applied to streamflow recorded in 65 unregulated sub-catchments since 1951. Our results, in agreement with previous local studies, indicate that spatial variations in groundwater recharge are predominantly controlled by the climate (rainfall and evapotranspiration) while aquifer characteristics seem to play a secondary role at this regional scale. While this analysis suggests large scope for expanding agricultural groundwater use, the map derived from this study provides a simple way to assess the limits of groundwater-fed irrigation development. Further data measurements to capture local variations in hydrogeology will be required to refine the evaluation of recharge rates to support practical implementations.

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Lacombe, Guillaume; Douangsavanh, S.; Vongphachanh, S.; Pavelic, Paul. 2017. Regional assessment of groundwater recharge in the lower Mekong Basin. Hydrology. 4(4):1-18.. https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/4/4/60/pdf. 10.3390/hydrology4040060

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/91298

Opportunities for improved promotion of ecosystem services in agriculture under the Water-Energy-Food Nexus

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Bell, A.R.
Matthews, Nathaniel
Zhang, W.

In this study, we focus on water quality as a vehicle to illustrate the role that the water, energy, and food (WEF) Nexus perspective may have in promoting ecosystem services in agriculture. The mediation of water quality by terrestrial systems is a key ecosystem service for a range of actors (municipalities, fishers, industries, and energy providers) and is reshaped radically by agricultural activity. To address these impacts, many programs exist to promote improved land-use practices in agriculture; however, where these practices incur a cost or other burden to the farmer, adoption can be low unless some form of incentive is provided (as in a payment for ecosystem services (PES) program). Provision of such incentives can be a challenge to sustain in the long term, if there is not a clear beneficiary or other actor willing to provide them. Successfully closing the loop between impacts and incentives often requires identifying a measurable and valuable service with a clear central beneficiary that is impacted by the summative effects of the diffuse agricultural practices across the landscape. Drawing on cases from our own research, we demonstrate how the WEF Nexus perspective—by integrating non-point-source agricultural problems under well-defined energy issues—can highlight central beneficiaries of improved agricultural practice, where none may have existed otherwise.

Citation

Bell, A.; Matthews, Nathanial; Zhang, W. 2016. Opportunities for improved promotion of ecosystem services in agriculture under the Water-Energy-Food Nexus. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 6(1):183-191. doi: 10.1007/s13412-016-0366-9

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/78530

Games to create awareness and design policies for transboundary cooperation in river basins: lessons from the Shariva Game of the Mekong River Commission

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Languageen

Authors

Douven, W.
Mul, Marloes L.
Son, L.
Bakker, Nico
Radosevich, G.
Hendriks, A.

International river basins cover a vast majority of the land surface, international cooperation is therefore important for the proper management, and to assure equitable and effective use in the basins. Key elements to improve international cooperation are common understanding of the issues in the basin, understanding upstream-downstream impacts and sharing a common vision for the future. This article focuses on the role of games in international basin cooperation to create awareness and to support policy development. The paper analysed the effects of the game in creating awareness and upgrading knowledge amongst water and related professionals and in designing procedures for cooperation in transboundary river basins. This was analysed during the implementation of the game with 28 participants from the four Lower Mekong countries. The impact on creating awareness and upgrading knowledge was evaluated through the use of questionnaires and pre- and post evaluation questions and for the design of policies, a SWOT analysis was used to evaluate the usefulness of the policies and frameworks as well as to identify possible improvements to the framework. The game implementation proved to be an appropriate tool to provide a practical way for stakeholders to become acquainted with the administrative and technical tools available in the Lower Mekong Basin. Pre- and post test shows that participants gained substantial knowledge on transboundary cooperation and use of tools. The game was part of a longer training programme addressing all the issues, however, the participants gained additional knowledge and insight by playing the game, well above what they had learned during the earlier training workshops. Playing the game proved an important aspect in training and education of such complex systems. The study also shows the role games can play in policy analysis, in particular the way the game provided insight in the design of the policy and the development of procedures, and their function to review and update policies and procedures. A number of recommendations have been made to strengthen the role in both training and education as well as in design of procedures.

Citation

Douven, W.; Mul, Marloes L.; Son, L.; Bakker, N.; Radosevich, G.; Hendriks, A. 2014. Games to create awareness and design policies for transboundary cooperation in river basins: lessons from the Shariva Game of the Mekong River Commission. Water Resources Management, 28(5):1431-1447. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11269-014-0562-x

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Research Themes

Variability, Risks and Competing Uses

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/58370

Scalar disconnect: the logic of transboundary water governance in the Mekong

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 22:02:41 +0000

TypeJournal Article

Subjects

Institutions/governance/policies/reforms
Landscape management
Integrated water management
Multiple uses of water
River basins

Languageen

Authors

Suhardiman, Diana
Giordano, Mark
Molle, Francois

This article provides an institutional analysis of the Mekong River Commission and brings to light the institutional dissonances between regional and national decision-making landscapes in the Lower Mekong Basin. The current scalar disconnect between regional and national decision-making processes reflects how international donors and member country representatives obscure potential conflict/tension in transboundary water governance in the Mekong. From a scholarly perspective, it questions academic approaches that assume that the state is the sole or primary actor in international relations.

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Suhardiman, Diana; Giordano, Mark; Molle, Francois. 2012. Scalar disconnect: the logic of transboundary water governance in the Mekong. Society and Natural Resources, 25(6):572-586.

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https://hdl.handle.net/10568/34698