EVENT [RESOURCES] : Pathways to a Sustainable and Just Transformation of the Mekong Region’s Electricity Sector [Bangkok, 2 June 2022]

On Thursday, 2nd June 2022, CSDS co- organized with Chulalongkorn University and the Australia – Mekong Partnership for Environmental Resources and Energy Systems (AMPERES) for report launch and discussion on “Pathways to a Sustainable and Just Transformation of the Mekong Region’s Electricity Sector”.

The event covered the following questions:

Rethinking electricity narratives: How are different electricity options narrated and justified? How do they reflect visions for the electricity transformation? What are the implications for a just electricity transformation in the region?

Rethinking electricity planning: Beyond changes in generation technology, in what ways could/should electricity systems in the region change in the near future? What are the challenges and opportunities to do so? What are the economic, social and environmental implications?

Rethinking scale and design: Why does scale matter in electricity planning and practice? Are different scaled technologies and practices mutually exclusive options? What are the trends and the region and what are the consequences?

Please see the full agenda here. Please view the final report here.

You can watch the full discussion here.

EVENT [RESOURCES] : Embracing Multiple Water Worlds: Policy and Practice of Water Governance in Thailand and Beyond [Online, 31 May 2022 ]

This event was co- hosted by The Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development, Chiang Mai University (RCSD); Chulalongkorn University Social Research Institute (CUSRI); Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, Chulalongkorn University; Center for Social Development Studies, Chulalongkorn University (CSDS); College of Politics and Governance , Mahasarakham University; Faculty of Science and Social Sciences, Burapha University Sakaeo Campus.

This seminar shared recent research on the water policy and practices and its impacts especially on community livelihoods and culture in Thailand, and to contextualize the findings by engaging in discussion with innovative approaches beyond Thailand.

Please see the panel and more information here.

A recording of the full event can be found here.

EVENT [RESOURCES]: The Belt and Road Initiative, hydropolitics, and hydropower [Online, 7 June 2021]

On june 7, Carl Middleton from CSDS was invited as one of the speakers for the webinar "Contrasting China's Relationship with South and Southeast Asia: the Belt and Road Initiative, Hydropolitics, and Hydropower."

Carl was speaking on ‘Reworking the Mekong River Regime: The Geopolitics and Hydropolitics of Competing Regionalisms’.

The full panelists of the event are:

• Prof Jiejin Zhu, School of International Relations and Public Affairs and center for UN and International Organizations studies at Fudan University

• Dr Ruth Gamble, La Trobe University, Melbourne

• Dr Carl Middleton, Center for Social Development Studies (CSDS) in the Faculty of Political Science of Chulalongkorn University, Thailand

• Rohan D’Souza, Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Kyoto University

Chair: Prof Lyla Mehta, Institute of Development Studies

For more information about the event, you can visit the organizer’s website here. You can also watch the full panel below:

EVENT [RESOURCES]: The Mekong, China, & SE Asian Transitions Series-Mekong Dams: Debates and the Politics of Evidence [Online, 29 April 2021]

On Thursday, 29 April 2021, Carl Middleton from CSDS was invited to be one of the speakers for Asian Studies Center at Michigan State University’s Spring 2021 Webinar Series: The Mekong, China, & SE Asian Transitions Series. Carl was one of the speakers for Panel 4: “Mekong Dams: Debates and the Politics of Evidence”.

The full panelists of the event are:

• Brian Eyler, Stimson Center, Washington D.C.

• Carl Middleton, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok

• Nguyễn Hương Thủy Phan, Graduate Institute - Geneva, Switzerland

• Pon Souvannaseng, Bentley University, Waltham, Massachusetts

• Apichai Sunchindah, Independent Development Specialist, Bangkok

Moderator: Wisa Wisesjindawat-Fink, Michigan State University

You can watch the full panel below:

EVENT [RESOURCES]: CRISEA Final Conference – Competing Regional Integrations in Southeast Asia: The Project and its Findings [Online, 22 February 2021]

On Monday, 22nd February 2021, Carl Middleton from Center for Social Development Studies, was one of the presenters for CRISEA Final Conference – Competing Regional Integrations in Southeast Asia: The Project and its Findings. Carl presented the research on “Southeast Asia and China: Transnational Water Issues on the Mekong”.

Competing Regional Integrations in Southeast Asia (CRISEA) is an interdisciplinary research project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme that studies multiple forces affecting regional integration in Southeast Asia and the challenges they present to the peoples of Southeast Asia and its regional institutional framework, ASEAN.

You can watch the video of the conference on the link here.

EVENT [RESOURCES]: ARI E-Workshop on Transboundary Environmental Governance in Southeast Asia [Online, 4 December 2020]

On 4 December 2020, Carl Middleton from CSDS was invinted to present on an inter-disciplinary workshop on "Transboundary Environmental Governance in Southeast Asia", organized by The Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore. The workshop explored how, why, when and what forms of transboundary environmental governance are emerging in Southeast Asia.

Carl was one of the presenters on the fourth panel on Hybrid Governance of Transboundary Commons. Carl’s presentation was on “Beyond the Commons/Commodity Dichotomy in the Lancang-Mekong Basin: Implications for Transboundary Water Governance” and discussed the implications of hybrid governance perspective for recent hydropolitics in the river basin and existing and new transboundary water governance institutions, namely the Mekong River Commission and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation framework.

For more information about the workshop, please click here.

You can watch the video of the event here and please enter the passcode ARIWORK!123 to access. Carl’s presentation will start at 5:47:35.

EVENT [RESOURCES]: Virtual Conference on Sustainable Development and the Future of the Mekong [Online, 27 October 2020]

Virtual Panel (c) Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace

On Thursday, 6th August 2020, Carl Middleton from Center for Social Development Studies, was invited by the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace (CICP) to speak on a virtual conference on "Sustainable Development and the Future of the Mekong".

Carl was one of the speakers on Panel IV, discussing “Human Security Issues in the Mekong Context: Agriculture, Energy, Water and Environment”. The panel discussed various topics on rising energy demand, food and water security as well as environment have become increasingly salient in recent years and interact directly both at present and in future with the sustainability of the Mekong.

Carl’s presentation was on ”Water data democratization in the Mekong-Lancang basin”, and the presentation is available to download here.

You can watch the video of the event below.

EVENT [RESOURCES]: The Mekong runs dry? Governance in transition: A close look at current rules and geopolitics at play

On Wednesday, 29th July 2020, Carl Middleton from Center for Social Development Studies, was one of the presenters on the panel discussion held at the SEA Junction, titled “The Mekong runs dry? Governance in transition: A close look at current rules and geopolitics at play”.

Other panelists on the event include:

• Dr.Somkiat Prajamwong, Chairperson of the MRC Joint Committee for 2020 and Secretary General of the Office of National Water Resources

• Pianporn Deetes, Thailand Campaign Coordinator, International Rivers

• Premrudee Daoroung, Coordinator, Lao Dam Investment Monitor (LDIM)

• Orapin Lilitvisitwong, Editor, Thai PBS’s website, Decode

You can watch the video of the event below.

EVENT [RESOURCES]: Mekong Downstream Blues [Bangkok, 1 February 2020]

(c) BangkokEdge Festival 2020

On Wednesday, 19th February 2020, Carl Middleton from Center for Social Development Studies, was one of the presenters on the panel discussion held as part of the BANGKOK EDGE 2020: Change and Resistance: Future Directions of Southeast Asia. The discussion was titled “Mekong Downstream Blues”.

Other panelists on the event include:

• Pianporn Deetes, activist and campaigns director International Rivers

• Sean Chadwell, Executive Director Luang Prabang Film Festival

The discussion was moderated by Jonathan Head, Southeast Asia Correspondent for the BBC.

You can watch the video of the event below.