ACIAR - Southern Lao Project Water Component

1. ACIAR - Southern Lao Project
Water Component
Participants include: Phil Eberbach, Thavone Inthavong, Ketema Zeleke;
Somsamay Vongthilath, Ruben Lampayan, Ben Samson, Stefan Haefele
Pany Vanmanivong Keo Souvanh, Phouvieng Songseum,
Khamma Keovised, Jono Newby

2. SLP Water component
Rainfed – rice Farm or community
ponds 4.1 - 4.2 Groundwater –
4.1
Rice breeding for
flood and drought tolerance Supplemental
– 4.3 irrigated
water
Rice Carryover of
Wet residual water
4.1
season Water saving strategies – 4.2
Dry
season
Rice
Alternate crops
or forages
Social and economic impact of
improve access to water -4.4

3. 4.1 Water Balance of the Champasak Province
Irrigation = Evapotranspiration – rainfall – residual carryover soil water - drainage

4. 4.1 Assessment of water availability and deficit
irrigation for non-rice crops in rainfed region of
Southern Lao PDR
•Modelling approach to estimate the probable amount of
residual water remaining at the end of the wet season.
•Simplified modelling approach NAFRI/UQ (SWBM) adopted
•Apply the output spatially

5. Soil data
Clay Downward (D) Sat, FC,
% WP, Air
(Saxton &
Rawls)
Start of
Climate data
growing
season
Rainfall ETc
•Point based (daily) End of
•Gridded surface
growing
(weekly)
season

6. Deficit irrigation recommendation

7. Assessment of water availability and deficit
irrigation for non-rice crops in rainfed region of
Southern Lao PDR
•Need to apply the model spatially in Champasak province
•Challenged by a lack of spatial rainfall data
• Output of a probabilistic spatial carryover soil-water map
to advise on irrigation requirements
Photo: T Inthavong

8. • Minor amount of groundwater data is available for Savannakhet but there
is a paucity in knowledge of the groundwater associated with the Mekong
alluvium in Champasak province
•Currently rates of development in Champasak necessitate an
understanding of the resilience of the system for sustainable management
•Current estimates of recharge indicate about 69 – 76 mm of rainfall
(about 2-5%) in Savannakhet enters groundwater while in Champasak initial
estimates indicate up to 15% of rainfall may recharge groundwater
Photo: K Zeleke

9. Boreholes which can be used for groundwater and salinity monitoring for detailed
groundwater study in the Soukhouma and Champasak provinces.

10. Days after 1 October 2011
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
0
1
2
3
4
5
Boungkeo
W
m
G
h
p
d
e
v
t
)
(
l
Hieng
6
Nongnang
Pakor
7
Samkha
Thadan
8
Tupchane
9
As bores are used conjunctively to support households it is difficult to separate domestic pumping from
behaviour of the local groundwater system

12. 4.1 Surface water availability and use from
farm ponds in southern Laos
 Describes the existing uses and management of farm ponds and factors
affecting availability
 Optimal farm design to utilizing farm dams, and management to optimize
water use
 Seven dams monitored in Savannakhet and Champasak province
Photo: R Lampayan

13. Ponding depth (cm)
300.0
Pond No. 1 (Khok Nounbua, Sokhuma)
Maximum and current pond water depths for 7
ponds
250.0
200.0
150.0
100.0
50.0
0.0
Location Water depth (cm)
Current %
Max
depth* remaining
Ponding depth (cm) Pond No. 2 (Bak Village, Sokhuma)
250
200 1. Khok Nounbua,
150
100
Sokhuma 283.8 140.6 49.5
50
0
2. Bak, Sokhuma 191.4 74.8 39.1
Ponding depth (cm)
180
Pond No 3 (Oparath Village, Phontone) 3. Oparath, Phontone 170.7 84.2 49.3
160
140
120
100
80
60 4. Nasomvang, Phontone 243.2 100.7 41.4
40
20
0 5. Na Chanoa,
Outhompone 226.8 140.8 62.1
Ponding depth (cm) Pond No 4 (Nasomvang Village, Phontone)
6. Phin Nuang,
300
250
Othompone 192.0 95.4 49.7
200
150
100
50
7. Champone 189.2 73.9 39.1
0
*Current water depth as of Jan 30, 2012

14. Village Have pond
Champasak (% of HH Pond has water Use for
surveyed) all year Use for Nursery Crop/Veg
Phaling 10% 67% 33% 0%
Oupalath 43% 69% 23% 62%
NonePhajao 17% 20% 0% 0%
Boungkeo 27% 100% 25% 25%
KhokeNongbua 13% 100% 0% 25%
Hieng 3% 0% 0% 0%
Total 19% 71% 18% 32%

15. 4.2 On farm trials of integrated water saving and water
productivity to secure WS rice and secure DS
crop/fodder option
 Alternate Wetting and Drying Dry season rice
production
-Evidence suggests
Field water depth (cm)
substantial water
savings are possibly
Soukuma, 2011 DS FP
15
10 AWD
5
0
-5
- Yield appears
-10 largely unaffected
-15
-20
Photo: R Lampayan

16. 4.3 Agronomic evaluations and dissemination of new
drought rice varieties
 Early wet season droughts commonly affect WS
rice crops in Lao
Drought tolerant lines
developed by IRRI
have been tested in
Lao and shown
enhance rice survival
during early rainless
periods
Photo: S Haefele

17. 4.4 Strengthen community water management schemes
and adoption of water-saving technologies at the system
or community level
 Improve the understanding the nature of water
sources in Lao and of the relationship between
Lao people and these sources of water
Photos: Jono Newby