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Freshwater under threat: South East Asia

The river basins of South East Asia have been the subject of a number of studies shedding light on the complexity of their natural, political, social and economic issues. Although the diversity of these studies and reports serves as a knowledge base for the basins, one can rarely find a study that provides a holistic view of the water-related vulnerabilities in the basins. This report is one of the outputs of the Vulnerability Assessment of Freshwater Resources to Environmental Change project, presenting a situation analysis with regard to the vulnerability of water resources system in South East Asia. In addition to the more general South East Asian water issues addressed herein, the report considers Mekong River Basin in detail as a case study. Though the Mekong River Basin (MRB) is currently not characterized by either water shortages or open conflicts, it warrants attention due to the potential future threats that might arise from development pressures and transboundary issues.

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