This paper examines how Western-dominated organizational and financial structures within INGOs and IGOs under the UNFCCC framework shape global climate action, often sidelining regional realities. Specifically, it explores the disconnect between the expectations of Western donors and the on-the-ground needs of water project management in the Mekong Basin, with a focus on Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The Mekong River, essential to the region’s predominantly agricultural economies, faces increasing threats from climate change, shifting monsoon patterns, intensifying droughts, and geopolitical pressures—particularly China’s upstream dam construction (Patel et al., 2020). Despite the critical importance of water security in the region, project documentation shows that international climate finance, particularly climate funds such as the GCF, has prioritized infrastructure and air pollution initiatives. Such projects are more aligned with urban areas where civil society is relatively more developed, albeit still constrained in these largely non-democratic states. Meanwhile, stakeholder interviews show smaller agricultural communities, which lack both advocacy experience and access to the complex application processes required by INGOs, remain largely excluded from funding opportunities (McElwee, 2017). This paper highlights the misalignment between Western financing objectives and regional water security needs, arguing for more context-sensitive and inclusive funding mechanisms.

Authors:
Noemi Gadomska, National Chengchi University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Noemi Gadomska is a doctoral student at the National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan. She is currently preparing her dissertation on the Wester funding of international climate projects in Southeast Asia.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule

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