Mekong tipping point : hydropower dams, human security and regional stability

In the absence of any effective mechanism for Mekong basin-wide cooperative and sustainable water management, the coming dependent relationship of the downstream countries on China's ability to regulate the river's seasonal flows creates an inherent and unhealthy geostrategic advantage for Beijing. A "water war" between China and its neighbors is almost unimaginable, but the downstream countries have long histories of conflict among themselves over the Mekong Basin's land and resources.