132-1-transboundary flows_lebel.pdf
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TRANSBOUNDARYFLOWSDr. Louis LebelUnit for Social and Environmental ResearchChiang Mai [email protected], [email protected]
Co-authors: Sopon Naruchaikusol,Muangpong Juntopas
Mekong Environmental Symposium5-7 March 2013, Ho Chi Minh City
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected] -
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Transboundary flowsTransboundary 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 fordevelopment and the
environment?
3. How do transboundary flows
interact and inter-connect? 2
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Types of flowsTypes Examples
Resource Water, fossil-fuels, timber and other natural resourcesFish 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)
People Migrants and refugeesTourists
Traders and border communities
Goods Food and agriculture products
Manufactured items e.g. textiles, automobiles, electronic equipmentNarcotics
Solid wastes and scraps
Non-
material
Financial as in investments, insurance, loans, and bank guarantees
Information as in news, science, education, and cultural products
Cultural services provided by ecosystems
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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
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People flows People move across
borders with varying
degrees of freedom
Refugees Border peoples
Labor migrants
Tourists
the benefits migrationbrings to source and
destination communities
are often overlooked but
can be substantial
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Ex. Migrant labor flows to Thailand
Migrant workers registered in Thailand from the three main
sources in the Greater Mekong Sub-region
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Goods flows: value of GMS Trade
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Ex. Importance of trade within GMS
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Non-material flows Investment and financial
services
Information and communication
technology services Mass media and Popular
culture
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Ex 1. FDI Flows1999-2008
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
Total FDI inflows
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Ex 2. Telecommunication Indicators
Per hundred inhabitants 2009
Again indirect indicator only of transboundary information flow!
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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 wellunderstood and easily underestimated
Roads and border institutions are critical to transportlogistics and thus flow speeds and volumes
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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
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Significance and limitationsA 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-likerelationships 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 understandingsustainability & 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
transboundaryflows
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