Preliminary Analysis of Water Security in the Mekong River Basin

The political climate in Southeast Asia is primed and on the cusp of a transformation. The purpose of this study is to discern both the existence and strength of the relationship between water security and regional integration in the Mekong River Basin. Water is an over-arching integrator, connecting and encompassing the prevailing tendency to focus separately on political and economic security. To frame water as a central driver enables a discussion of regional integration that is both fundamental, as well as comprehensive, yielding substantive conclusions to the benefit of creating a successful community in the Mekong River Basin.