Rules, Norms and NGO Advocacy Strategies

Yumiko Yasuda is an environmental and water governance specialist. She was a researcher for the Centre for Water Law, Policy and Science, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK. She has previously worked for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Southeast Asia.

• 1. NGOs and Environmental Governance Part 1: Research Design 2. Analysing NGO Advocacy Strategies 3. Framework for Analysis: NGO Coalitions Along the Mekong River Part 2: Biophysical and Material Conditions, Actors, Rules and Norms 4. Biophysical and Material Conditions 5. Actors 6. Rules and Norms Part 3: Strategies and Interactions 7. The Xayaburi Dam Story 8. Strategies Targeting the Mekong Regional Decision-makers 9. Strategies Targeting National Decision-makers 10. Strategies Targeting Stakeholders in Affected Areas 11. Strategies Targeting General Public 12. Conclusion

"In addition to benefits, the accelerating pace of development in the Mekong region is creating many conflicts and perverse outcomes from natural resources development. In this contested space it is critical to understand how non-government voices can contribute to better government decisions. Yasuda’s book provides exceptional insights into how civil society can constructively influence institutions in Cambodia and Vietnam." – Jamie Pittock, The Australian National University, Australia. "Recent times have witnessed a resurgence in hydropower developments, particularly evident throughout the Mekong River Basin. This book is therefore extremely timely, and significant in its focus – namely the interface between formal and informal norms, and the advocacy strategies of NGOs and civil society actors. The book is a must read for both scholars and practitioners interested in the role of NGOs within decision-making processes." – Alistair Rieu-Clarke, University of Dundee, UK. "This intriguing study of Cambodian and Vietnamese NGOs as advocates against Mekong River dams provides important insights into the ways in which NGOs influence, but are also influenced by, the norms and rules of the societies and transnational contexts in which they are located." – Philip Hirsch, University of Sydney, Australia.