Alternative Water Resource Systems in the Lower Mekong

The paper illustrates a systematic method to evaluate alternative water resources systems with particular reference to the development of water resources in the Lower Mekong Basin. This method has been inspired by Kazanowski's cost-effectiveness approach. In the evaluation process, the development goals that may be of an economic or social nature are explicitly stated and transformed into specifications. The approach requires that distinct alternatives be sought and compared using both quantitative and qualitative criteria. A decision to select an alternative can be reached by use of a fixed-cost or fixed-effectiveness approach. Sensitivity analysis in the approach takes into account uncertainty in hydrologic and economic data.