TRANSBOUNDARY FLOWS

Dr. Louis Lebel Unit for Social and Environmental Research Chiang Mai University
llebel@loxinfo.co.th, louis@sea-user.org Co-authors: Sopon Naruchaikusol, Muangpong Juntopas

Mekong Environmental Symposium 5-7 March 2013, Ho Chi Minh City

Transboundary flows
Transboundary flows cross shared international borders Three questions: 1. What are the main patterns in and drivers of transboundary flows? 2. What are the consequences of transboundary flows for development and the environment? 3. How do transboundary flows interact and inter-connect?

Types of flows
Types Resource Examples
Water, fossil-fuels, timber and other natural resources Fish or wildlife that migrate or move across borders Pests, weeds and diseases (affecting animals or plants) Regulatory and supporting ecosystem services Clean atmosphere (transboundary air pollution) Migrants and refugees Tourists Traders and border communities Food and agriculture products Manufactured items e.g. textiles, automobiles, electronic equipment Narcotics Solid wastes and scraps Financial as in investments, insurance, loans, and bank guarantees Information as in news, science, education, and cultural products Cultural services provided by ecosystems
3

People

Goods

Nonmaterial

Resource flows
Water Fish & wildlife Timber Energy

Can be natural, disrupted or

assisted
Disruption of fish migration by

hydropower dams Illegal trade in wildlife or timber

People flows
People move across

borders with varying degrees of freedom

Refugees Border peoples Labor migrants Tourists

the benefits migration

brings to source and destination communities are often overlooked but can be substantial

Ex. Migrant labor flows to Thailand

Migrant workers registered in Thailand from the three main sources in the Greater Mekong Sub-region

Goods flows: value of GMS Trade

Ex. Importance of trade within GMS

Non-material flows
Investment and financial

services Information and communication technology services Mass media and Popular culture

Ex 1. FDI Flows
1999-2008

Total FDI inflows

For China and Thailand transboundary investment from other GMS countries is relatively small to total FDI inflows For Laos key sources are Thailand, China & Vietnam and mostly related to mining & hydropower & agro-industries Myanmar has also depended a lot on investment from neighboring countries in many sectors

Ex 2. Telecommunication Indicators

Per hundred inhabitants 2009 Again indirect indicator only of transboundary information flow!

Q1. Patterns & drivers

The transboundary flows of goods and services are not as

large as promised or assumed in many discourses Those for flows of resources and people are often not well understood and easily underestimated
Roads and border institutions are critical to transport

logistics and thus flow speeds and volumes

Q2. Consequences
Transboundary flows create opportunities, risks and

burdens for social development, economic growth and environmental sustainability Consequences can be very important locally while relatively insignificant elsewhere or modest at larger scale For example: Transboundary flows can have important consequences for land-use (e.g. concessions) For some flows borders are critical sites where states (and local actors) exercise their authority and influence But for many flows key drivers and decisions are made in major cities

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Q3. Interactions & interconnections

Transboundary flows are not independent of each other. E.g. Flows of migrants to Thailand create new networks through which information and money are exchanged E.g. Expansion of rubber combines elements of good, resource and people flows. regional integration creates new markets, reduces

production costs, and takes advantage of complementarities in resources and industries of neighboring countries, but, similarities among the economies means that there is also significant competition between them for exports Regional integration alters the function of borders as boundaries

Significance and limitations

A focus on transboundary flows draws attention to

common processes, interactions, drivers and consequences at both-ends and at borders It acknowledges that there are a set of flows and flow-like relationships that should be considered jointly when thinking about region and transboundary relations Examination of flows can help evaluate regional economic integration discourses and claims Transboundary flow metaphor is not appropriate for all types of interactions important to understanding sustainability & security (e.g. power relations)

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Conclusions
Places may be transformed by flows in sources, borders

and destinations Control of flows typically lies beyond authority of single country and may be modified at borders Transboundary flows often take on a life of their own in public discourse and perception that may not be closely related to evidence about size or impact Therefore, suggest influence of transboundary flows should be assessed relative to other internal and external flows More critical and integrative research on transboundary flows is needed

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Framework for analyzing transboundary flows