Water diplomacy - case study of the Mekong River Commission

Fresh water is an essential resource for life and it is an integral part of all ecological and social activities. We can observe an increasing dependence on this source. However, the excessive use of readily available resources is creating a constraint on our planet. These limitations are across water, energy, food and climate change. Thus, we are already facing a complex series of interconnected water problems, which arise mainly in transboundary waters. This thesis focuses on one of the most important water resources in Asia, the Mekong River. The thesis examines cooperation on the river from the point of view of member states and dialogue partners of the Mekong River Commission and whether this cooperation corresponds to the Water Diplomacy Framework. The examined framework of cooperation is limited to river basin development strategies in the years 2001 - 2030. These strategies address the main challenges of the Commission in the fields of agriculture, energy and ecology. At the same time, the work deals with the conflict potential, which reflects the different approaches and interests of the member states of the Mekong River Commission into the conflict curve. The work uses the methodology of content qualitative analysis, which shows that although the cooperation corresponds to the Water Diplomacy Framework, tensions between states are constantly growing. The position of the Member States is therefore in phases of unstable peace and crisis.