Water Knowledge, Use, and Governance: Tibetan Participatory Development Along the Mekong (Langcangjiang) River, in Yunnan, China

Abstract

Water culture traditions reflect the lived experiences of local communities as well as their sense of place. Such traditions evolve over time through ongoing interactions with local environments and enable people to use and manage their water resources effectively. Environmental changes, however, can disrupt previously harmonious relations, requiring additional adaptations from local peoples. The Tibetan villages along the Mekong River, known in China as the Lancangjiang River, have a long history of managing their own water resources, but in recent decades they have experienced more frequent natural disasters such as flooding and mudslides. In order for water resources development and water governance modifications to be successful, they must be designed to meet these new challenges and must be built on foundations of local knowledge and local participation. Participatory development projects ­undertaken in the villages of Hongpo and Jiabi, Deqin County, Diqing Province, are examples of such successful collaborations.