The Mekong River is a vital and valuable resource, with huge development potential for the six states through which it flows. Given the significant asymmetry of power between those states, however, there is a real risk that some might utilise it to the detriment of others. Without a sense of regional belonging, it is difficult to imagine that these states and their constituent communities will take regional imperatives to heart, participate in joint regulatory frameworks, or adopt behaviours for upstream-downstream and lateral cooperation over the appropriation and use of their shared resources. How effectively has closer interdependence of the Mekong countries accommodated the development of a political-social-cultural space conducive to the growth of a regional "we-ness" among not only political elites, but also the general public? The contributors to this volume approach this question from a range of directions, including the impacts of tourism, regional development programmes, the Mekong Power Grid, and Sino-US rivalry. This edited volume presents valuable insights for scholars of international relations, Asian studies, development studies, environment studies, policy studies, and human geography.

Celebrating the people of the Mekong subregion, this remarkable atlas is more than just a series of maps; this book also includes remote sensing images and essential cultural information about one of the most ethnically and biologically diverse regions of the world. The subregion includes Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Yunnan Province in China.

Towards Malaria Elimination - A Leap Forward was started to mark the occasion for renewed commitment to end malaria transmission for good (the WHO's call for "Malaria Free World" by 2030). This book is dedicated for the benefit of researchers, scientists, program and policy managers, students and anyone interested in malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases with the goal of sharing recent information on success stories, innovative control approaches and challenges in different regions of the world. Some main issues that emerged included multidrug-resistant malaria and pandemic risk, vaccines, cross-border malaria, asymptomatic parasite reservoir, the threat of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium knowlesi, insecticide resistance in Anopheles vectors and outdoor malaria transmission. This book is one little step forward to bring together in 17 chapters the experiences of malaria-expert researchers from five continents to present updated information on disease epidemiology and control at the national/regional level, highlighting the constraints, challenges, accomplishments and prospects of malaria elimination.

The Mekong is the most controversial river in Southeast Asia, and increasingly the focus of international attention. It flows through 6 counties, China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam. The 4 downstream countries have formed the Mekong River Commission to promote sustainable development of the river and many of their people depend on it for their subsistence ? it has possible the largest freshwater fishery in the world, and the Mekong waters support rice agriculture in the delta in Viet Nam (which produces about 40% of that country's food) as well as in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. China is now building the first large mainstream dam on the river, and has proposals for several more. These dams are likely to affect the downstream countries. Several of the downstream countries also have plans for large scale hydropower and irrigation development which could also impact the river. This book will provide a solid overview of the biophysical environment of the Mekong together with a discussion of the possible impacts, biophysical, economic and social, of some possible development scenarios. It is intended to provide a technical basis which can inform the growing political and conservation debate about the future of the Mekong River, and those who depend on it. It is aimed at river ecologists, geographers, environmentalists and development specialists both in the basin and (especially) outside for whom access to this material is most difficult. This book will be the first comprehensive treatment of the Mekong system. - The first comprehensive overview of all aspects of the Mekong River system - Deals with a regionally critical ecosystem and one under threat - The Mekong supports the world's largest freshwater fishery and provides water underpinning a major regional rice paddy system - Presents the authoritative findings of the Mekong River Commission's research for a wider audience for the first time outside of limited distribution reports

This book examines East Asia’s inter-state collaborative energy projects to address energy vulnerability. It focuses on projects that have demonstrated effectiveness in addressing vulnerabilities faced by the ten states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China, Japan, and South Korea in Northeast Asia. Including case studies on uncertainties in external sources of oil and gas supply, maritime piracy, continuation of energy poverty, and geographical barriers to cross-border electricity interconnection, expert contributors highlight how collaborative energy projects have been more successful than the traditional state rivalry in energy-related issues. The book develops the framework of energy vulnerability, avoiding usual securitization approaches, instead examining non-traditional security conceptualizations in studying energy policies to examine how issue-specific cooperation efforts between states arise and develop. Using East Asia as a starting point, contributors introduce a framework that advances the study of international energy cooperation. Managing Regional Energy Vulnerabilities in East Asia will be of interest to students and scholars of Asian studies, sociology, development studies, and international political economy particularly the political economy of East Asia, energy and development studies, regional and global governance of energy and the environmental economics.

Differentiated cooperation and GMS cooperation provide a theoretical model and practical example to coordinate the relationship and to promote economic and political cooperation between large and small states for the purpose of economic, political, and social development on the national, regional, and international stages.

The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Economic Cooperation Program has adopted a multisector approach to economic corridor development, requiring multisector investments, increased inter-sector coordination, and enhanced knowledge platform. An area of concern is facilitating safe labor migration. This report, prepared by the International Organization for Migration and funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), highlights issues on labor migration in the GMS and offers recommendations toward increasing social protection for migrants, strengthening capacity and legal framework, and enhancing knowledge management mechanisms. The report provided inputs into the formulation of a new strategic framework and action plan for the human resource development sector.