MRC General Presentation

Mekong River Commission Meeting the Needs - Keeping the BalanceMRC Water Utilization Programme:GEF International Waters Project(GEF/World Bank)Mekong River Commission Meeting the Needs - Keeping the BalanceMRC Water Utilization Programme:GEF International Waters Project(GEF/World Bank)

Potentials andChallengePotentials andChallenge

longest riversAt 4,800km long, Mekong is oneof the world’s longest rivers.

ecosystemsBasin supports one of the mostproductive and diverse freshwaterecosystems.

Least spoiled & least developed,and potential for development isfar from utilized.

Only four countries are members.

populationTotal population living in theLower Mekong Basin is atpresent 60 million people => 100million by 2025.

Average flow = 15,000 m3/s, butnot evenly distributed.

Majority of them living belowpoverty line.

Issues to be addressed byWUPIssues to be addressed byWUP

1995 Mekong Agreement to address two most importantissues:

–water sharing/maintenance of agreed flow level; and

–Environment protection and the ecological balance.

Other related issues:

–Change of flow regime/quality;

–sea water intrusion,

–impact on navigation;

–Growing demand for water/energy and inter-basindiversion,

–Degradation of aquatic ecosystem (fish)

–Inadequate knowledge of river basin behavior andwater quality conditions.

How Issues/challenges areaddressedHow Issues/challenges areaddressed

WUP broad objective: set up a mechanism toimplement 1995 agreement by:

Facilitating agreements among countries onrequired set of rules/agreements;

Developing a modeling package and knowledgebase for supporting learnt decision-making;

Capacity building and technical collaboration withupstream countries;

Ensuring ownership and participation.

Progress to dateProgress to date

Rules:

–Data sharing and exchange agreementsigned in November 2001;

–Procedures for Implementing “equitableand reasonable use” to be signed later thisyear,

–By 2005 = three more rules on water usemonitoring, maintenance of water quantity,and quality.

Progress to date(Cont.)Progress to date(Cont.)

Development ofDecision SupportFramework, andTraining of trainersand end users inprogress – July 03.

Progress toward FlowManagement.

MRC and Flow ManagementMRC and Flow Management

The EP and WUP have developed a 3 phaseapproach to flow guidelines

Phase 1 – An interim flow plan to preventdeterioration in the short term

Phase 2 – A field based comprehensive flowplan

Phase 3 – Evaluation of proposedinterventions

MRC and Flow ManagementMRC and Flow Management

Interim Flow Plan

Based on existing knowledge

Using an expert panel approach

Deliberately conservative

It will protect “bottom lines”

MRC and Flow ManagementMRC and Flow Management

Interim Flow Plan

Main difficulties :

Collating the existing knowledge

Identifying the “bottom lines”

MRC and Flow ManagementMRC and Flow Management

Comprehensive Flow Plan

Based on field assessments and flowmodeling

Intended to allow prediction of ecological andsubsistence consequences of flow changes

Vegetation zones linked to flood-return periodsVegetation zones linked to flood-return periods

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Back Dynamic

Tree -Shrub

Lower Dynamic

Upper

lower

Wet Bank

Aquatic

580

300

200

120

400

1:20

1:2

II, III

wslf

dslf

MRC and Flow ManagementMRC and Flow Management

Comprehensive Flow Plan

Main difficulties

Results will provide information to decisionmakers – but not make the decision

Can we effectively model flow over theCambodian floodplains?

Flow (discharge)is measured asvelocity x crosssectional area –but cross sectionarea is difficult tomeasure wherethe river is 50 kmwide!Flow (discharge)is measured asvelocity x crosssectional area –but cross sectionarea is difficult tomeasure wherethe river is 50 kmwide!