Unsustainable Development in the Mekong: The Price of Hydropower

What is sustainable development? Since its inception at the 1992 Earth Summit, “sustainable development” has been woven into the language of development and global change. Recognising that past development paradigms have been fixated on economic growth, marginalising social and environmental dimensions of progress, the concept of “sustainable development” has attempted to reconcile all three developmental dimensions (Moldan et al, 2012). Broadly understood, “Sustainable development” not only integrates these societal goals, but also ensures that the health of human and natural systems are not compromised for the benefit of future generations. However, this concept has remained the holy grail for development, implementation falling short of theoretical ideals (UNEP, 2012). Furthermore, its broad and open nature has resulted in many interpretations, each fiercely contested on multiple scales (Zaccai, 2012). In the following sections, I illustrate some challenges for sustainable development through examining hydropower development in the Mekong Basin. Using the successor framework to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), I highlight the unsustainable trajectory of hydropower development in the Mekong river basin and lay down several policy imperatives for sustainability.