From turnkey to partnership: project-based water diplomacy in the Lancang–Mekong Basin

Chenxi Li, Guoqing Wang and Liushan Tang

Water International, 2025, vol. 50, issue 7, 771-798

Abstract: This study demonstrates how water diplomacy principles emerge organically from project implementation, using a Chinese-led hydrological monitoring initiative in Laos and Cambodia. When COVID-19 disrupted conventional turnkey approaches, crisis-driven adaptations transformed the project into recipient-led implementation through multitrack coordination. Using participant observation, this research reveals how external constraints can catalyse deeper cooperation, converting passive beneficiaries into genuine partners. The transformation fostered trust, built capacity, and established sustainable collaboration mechanisms. This case provides empirical evidence that adaptive, locally empowered approaches can operationalize water diplomacy theory, offering a replicable framework for resilient transboundary cooperation under constrained conditions.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/02508060.2025.2523668

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