1569 



Communist-oriented groups followed. The most recent meeting of 

 representatives of the four Riparian States in the Coordinating Com- 

 mittee was in March 1975. A subsequent meeting held in Bangkok in 

 April 1977 was attended by delegates from Vietnam, Laos, and 

 Thailand, but not Democratic Kampuchea (Cambodia). The delegates 

 of the three countries announced tentative agreement on establishing 

 an interim tripartite commission to proceed (pending resumption of 

 participation by Kampuchea) with development of Mekong Basin 

 water resources. Meanwhile, the Mekong Committee's operating budget 

 through 1977 has been assured by support from various sources, and 

 Vietnam and Laos have officially asked for L^nited Nations Develop- 

 ment Program (UNDP) support of the Committee through 1978. A 

 phase-out of U.S. support of the project, begun in 1975, has been com- 

 pleted. While there is uncertainty as to the future scope of the Mekong 

 project, and as to w^hether it will maintain its previous practices of 

 extensive multilateral coordination and consultation, the remarkable 

 fact is that the project is still alive and appears to be in the process of 

 institutional rebuilding.^^ 



The study traced the change in emphasis of the Mekong project 

 from large civil works and capital-intensive development to socio- 

 economic programs appropriate to the local culture. Concurrently, 

 an increased concern is evident for the environmental consequences — • 

 principally adverse consequences — of large public works. Taken 

 together these two trends accentuate the human importance of 

 technological impacts. An understanding of the cultures and economic 

 systems of parts of a region undergoing development planning is now 

 perceived as of foremost importance. The implication of these cir- 

 cumstances is that development under local leadership, w^ith local 

 participation, may yield slower and less substantial physical results 

 but may tend to create institutions and social organization that are 

 more stable and compatible with local culture and social forces. The 

 study gave some, but perhaps not enough, attention to this require- 

 ment. Moreover, the role of regional development as a vehicle for 

 cooperation, tension reduction, and social integration seems to be 

 furthered by this sliift of emphasis. 



SOME OBSERVATIOXS AND CONCLUSIONS 



Among the conclusions and observations suggested by the study are 

 these : 



— Habits of cooperative relationship may be more important 

 than formal organization in the mounting of a complex inter- 

 national development.' 



— A regional development program must harmonize differing 

 national objectives rather than overriding them. In particular, 

 a regional program cannot win acceptance if it aims explicitly 

 to diminish nationalistic aspirations and contravene national- 

 istic values. 



— The logical appeal of large civil works that enrich the 

 energy, transportation, and resource development of a region, 

 while reducing flood hazards, provides a powerful motivation for 

 cooperative effort. It also justifies large capital investment. The 

 risks of such large civil works are less obvious, but still real. 



87 Source: U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development, 

 July 1977. 



