Dinamika Pengelolaan Sumber Daya Air di Sungai Mekong: Kontestasi Kepentingan antara Tiongkok dan Negara-Negara Lower Mekong

Abstract

This study analyzes the dynamics of water resource management in the Mekong River, which has transformed from a center of civilization into an arena for contested interests between countries in the Lower Mekong. Using the concept of Hydro-hegemony by Zeitoun and Warner, this study explores how geographic location influences the water resource management policies of countries in the region. The results show that China and Laos, as upstream actors, utilize their geographic and economic advantages to dominate control of water flows through the construction of hydroelectric dams. This imbalanced relationship creates negative externalities for downstream countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia, including threats to food security and ecosystem stability. These findings confirm that the dynamics of Mekong River management are not only environmental in nature but also closely related to transnational water resource governance and the asymmetry of interests between upstream and downstream actors.