IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/endesu/v15y2013i2p301-324.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An analysis of China’s investment in the hydropower sector in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region

Author

Listed:
  • Frauke Urban
  • Johan Nordensvärd
  • Deepika Khatri
  • Yu Wang

Abstract

The Mekong River’s natural resources offer large benefits to its populations, but it also attracts the interest of foreign investors. Recently, Chinese firms, banks and government bodies have increasingly invested in large hydropower projects in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region. Due to China’s rapid economic growth, its rapid industrialisation and its limited domestic natural resources, the Chinese government has issued the ‘Going Out Strategy’ which promotes investments in overseas natural resources like water and energy resources. In search for climate-friendly low-carbon energy, cheap electricity and access to a growing market, Chinese institutions turn to Southeast Asia where Chinese institutions are currently involved in more than 50 on-going large hydropower projects as contractors, investors, regulators and financiers. These Chinese institutions have influence on environmental and social practices as well as on diplomatic and trade relations in the host countries. Currently, there are major gaps in understanding who is engaged, why, how and with what impacts. This paper therefore aims to assess the motives, actors, beneficiaries and the direct and indirect impacts of China’s investment in large hydropower projects in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region. The authors use the ‘Rising Powers Framework’ to assess these issues, which is an adapted version of the Asian Drivers Framework. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Frauke Urban & Johan Nordensvärd & Deepika Khatri & Yu Wang, 2013. "An analysis of China’s investment in the hydropower sector in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 301-324, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:15:y:2013:i:2:p:301-324
    DOI: 10.1007/s10668-012-9415-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s10668-012-9415-z
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10668-012-9415-z?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kaplinsky, Raphael & Messner, Dirk, 2008. "Introduction: The Impact of Asian Drivers on the Developing World," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 197-209, February.
    2. Renato Aguilar & Andrea Goldstein, 2009. "The Chinisation of Africa: The Case of Angola," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(11), pages 1543-1562, November.
    3. Yu, Xiaojiang, 2003. "Regional cooperation and energy development in the Greater Mekong Sub-region," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(12), pages 1221-1234, September.
    4. Giles Mohan & Marcus Power, 2008. "New African Choices? The Politics of Chinese Engagement," Review of African Political Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(115), pages 23-42, March.
    5. Hwang, Sean-Shong & Xi, Juan & Cao, Yue & Feng, Xiaotian & Qiao, Xiaofei, 2007. "Anticipation of migration and psychological stress and the Three Gorges Dam project, China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(5), pages 1012-1024, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mirja Kattelus & Muhammad Mizanur Rahaman & Olli Varis, 2014. "Myanmar under reform: Emerging pressures on water, energy and food security," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 38(2), pages 85-98, May.
    2. Kirchherr, Julian & Matthews, Nathanial & Charles, Katrina J. & Walton, Matthew J., 2017. "“Learning it the Hard Way”: Social safeguards norms in Chinese-led dam projects in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 529-539.
    3. Paul W. K. Yankson & Alex B. Asiedu & Kwadwo Owusu & Frauke Urban & Giuseppina Siciliano, 2018. "The livelihood challenges of resettled communities of the Bui dam project in Ghana and the role of Chinese dam†builders," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 36(S1), pages 476-494, March.
    4. Frauke Urban & Johan Nordensvard & Giuseppina Siciliano & Bingqin Li, 2015. "Chinese Overseas Hydropower Dams and Social Sustainability: The Bui Dam in Ghana and the Kamchay Dam in Cambodia," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 2(3), pages 573-589, September.
    5. Kirchherr, Julian & Matthews, Nathanial, 2018. "Technology transfer in the hydropower industry: An analysis of Chinese dam developers’ undertakings in Europe and Latin America," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 546-558.
    6. Wang, Yongpei & Yan, Weilong & Zhuang, Shangwen & Zhang, Qian, 2019. "Competition or complementarity ? The hydropower and thermal power nexus in China," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 531-541.
    7. Fadzilah Majid Cooke & Johan Nordensvard & Gusni Bin Saat & Frauke Urban & Giuseppina Siciliano, 2017. "The Limits of Social Protection: The Case of Hydropower Dams and Indigenous Peoples' Land," Asia and the Pacific Policy Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 4(3), pages 437-450, September.
    8. Schulhof, Vera & van Vuuren, Detlef & Kirchherr, Julian, 2022. "The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): What Will it Look Like in the Future?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Asongu, Simplice A, 2014. "Sino-African relations: a review and reconciliation of dominant schools of thought," MPRA Paper 66597, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Asongu, Simplice A, 2014. "A Development Consensus reconciling the Beijing Model and Washington Consensus: Views and Agenda," MPRA Paper 58757, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Simplice A. Asongu & Paul N. Acha-Anyi, 2020. "A survey on the Washington Consensus and the Beijing Model: reconciling development perspectives," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 67(2), pages 111-129, June.
    4. Simplice Asongu & John Ssozi, 2016. "Sino-African Relations: Some Solutions and Strategies to the Policy Syndromes," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(1), pages 33-51, January.
    5. Paul W. K. Yankson & Alex B. Asiedu & Kwadwo Owusu & Frauke Urban & Giuseppina Siciliano, 2018. "The livelihood challenges of resettled communities of the Bui dam project in Ghana and the role of Chinese dam†builders," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 36(S1), pages 476-494, March.
    6. Frauke Urban & Giles Mohan & Sarah Cook, 2013. "China as a new shaper of international development: the environmental implications," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 257-263, April.
    7. Laurent Didier, 2017. "South-South Trade and Geographical Diversification of Intra-SSA Trade: Evidence from BRICs," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 29(2), pages 139-154, June.
    8. Samuel Brazys & Krishna Chaitanya Vadlamannati, 2021. "Aid curse with Chinese characteristics? Chinese development flows and economic reforms," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 188(3), pages 407-430, September.
    9. Broich, Tobias, 2017. "Do authoritarian regimes receive more Chinese development finance than democratic ones? Empirical evidence for Africa," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 180-207.
    10. Timilsina,Govinda R. & Toman,Michael A. & Karacsonyi,Jorge G. & de Tena Diego,Luca, 2015. "How much could South Asia benefit from regional electricity cooperation and trade ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7341, The World Bank.
    11. Carmody, Pádraig, 2009. "An Asian-Driven Economic Recovery in Africa? The Zambian Case," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(7), pages 1197-1207, July.
    12. Sarraf, M. & Rismanchi, B. & Saidur, R. & Ping, H.W. & Rahim, N.A., 2013. "Renewable energy policies for sustainable development in Cambodia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 223-229.
    13. Jinfeng Zhang, 2019. "How Community Participation Promotes the Relocation Adjustment of Older Women: A Moderated Mediation Analysis," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 143(2), pages 637-655, June.
    14. Simplice Asongu, 2016. "Reinventing Foreign Aid For Inclusive And Sustainable Development: Kuznets, Piketty And The Great Policy Reversal," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 736-755, September.
    15. Jan van der Borg & Erwin van Tuijl, 2011. "Upgrading of Symbolic and Synthetic Knowledge Bases: Analysis of the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry and the Automotive Industry in China," Working Papers 2011_25, Department of Economics, University of Venice "Ca' Foscari".
    16. Giorgia Giovannetti & Marco Sanfilippo, 2009. "Do Chinese Exports Crowd-out African Goods? An Econometric Analysis by Country and Sector," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 21(4), pages 506-530, September.
    17. Asongu, Simplice & Nwachukwu, Jacinta C. & Aminkeng, Gilbert A. A, 2014. "China’s Strategies in Economic Diplomacy: A Survey of Updated Lessons for Africa, the West and China," MPRA Paper 65304, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Necoechea-Mondragón, Hugo & Pineda-Domínguez, Daniel & Pérez-Reveles, Luz & Soto-Flores, Rocío, 2017. "Critical factors for participation in global innovation networks. Empirical evidence from the Mexican nanotechnology sector," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 293-312.
    19. Minsoo Lee & Donghyun Park & Arief Ramayandi, 2017. "How growth deceleration in the PRC affects other Asian economies," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 31(2), pages 61-77, November.
    20. Timilsina,Govinda R. & Deluque Curiel,Ilka Fabiana & Chattopadhyay,Debabrata, 2021. "How Much Does Latin America Gain from Enhanced Cross-Border Electricity Trade in the Short Run ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9692, The World Bank.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:endesu:v:15:y:2013:i:2:p:301-324. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.