At 4,800km long, Mekong is one of the world’s longest rivers. Basin supports one of the most productive and diverse freshwater ecosystems.

1. Mekong River CommissionMekong River Commission
Meeting the Needs - Keeping the BalanceMeeting the Needs - Keeping the Balance
MRC Water Utilization Programme:MRC Water Utilization Programme:
GEF International Waters ProjectGEF International Waters Project
(GEF/World Bank)(GEF/World Bank)

2. Potentials andPotentials and
ChallengeChallenge
 At 4,800km long, Mekong is one
of the world’s longest riverslongest rivers.
 Basin supports one of the most
productive and diverse
freshwater ecosystemsecosystems.
 Least spoiled & least developed,
and potential for development is
far from utilized.
 Only four countries are members.
 Total populationpopulation living in the
Lower Mekong Basin is at
present 60 million people => 100
million by 2025.
 Average flow = 15,000 m3/s, but
not evenly distributed.
 Majority of them living below
poverty line.

3. Issues to be addressed byIssues to be addressed by
WUPWUP
 1995 Mekong Agreement to address two most important
issues:
– 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-basin
diversion,
– Degradation of aquatic ecosystem (fish)
– Inadequate knowledge of river basin behavior and
water quality conditions.

4. How Issues/challenges areHow Issues/challenges are
addressedaddressed
 WUP broad objective: set up a mechanism to
implement 1995 agreement by:
 Facilitating agreements among countries on
required set of rules/agreements;
 Developing a modeling package and knowledge
base for supporting learnt decision-making;
 Capacity building and technical collaboration with
upstream countries;
 Ensuring ownership and participation.

5. Progress to dateProgress to date
Rules:
– Data sharing and exchange agreement
signed in November 2001;
– Procedures for Implementing “equitable
and reasonable use” to be signed later this
year,
– By 2005 = three more rules on water use
monitoring, maintenance of water quantity,
and quality.

6. Progress to dateProgress to date
(Cont.)(Cont.)
Development of
Decision Support
Framework, and
Training of trainers
and end users in
progress – July 03.
Progress toward Flow
Management.
Decision Support Framework
Proposed development
scenarios
Validated
Planning
Data Hydrological
model
Basin simulation
model
Rules for
Water
Utilisation
Impact Analysis Tools
Knowledge
Base
Planning assessments
Assessment
Framework
Hydrodynamic &
salintiy models
Environment
Assessment
Socio-economic

7. MRC and Flow ManagementMRC and Flow Management
 The EP and WUP have developed a 3 phase
approach to flow guidelines
Phase 1 – An interim flow plan to prevent
deterioration in the short term
Phase 2 – A field based comprehensive
flow plan
Phase 3 – Evaluation of proposed
interventions

8. 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”

9. MRC and Flow ManagementMRC and Flow Management
Interim Flow Plan
 Main difficulties :
Collating the existing knowledge
Identifying the “bottom lines”

10. MRC and Flow ManagementMRC and Flow Management
Comprehensive Flow Plan
 Based on field assessments and flow
modeling
 Intended to allow prediction of ecological and
subsistence consequences of flow changes

11. Vegetation zones linked to flood-Vegetation zones linked to flood-
return periodsreturn periods
Back Dynamic
Tree -Shrub
Lower Dynamic
Upper
lower Wet Bank
Aquatic
580
300
200
120
400
80
50
Q
1:20
1:2
IV
II, III
wslfI
dslf

12. MRC and Flow ManagementMRC and Flow Management
Comprehensive Flow Plan
 Main difficulties
 Results will provide information to decision
makers – but not make the decision
 Can we effectively model flow over the
Cambodian floodplains?

13. Flow (discharge)Flow (discharge)
is measured asis measured as
velocity x crossvelocity x cross
sectional area –sectional area –
but cross sectionbut cross section
area is difficult toarea is difficult to
measure wheremeasure where
the river is 50 kmthe river is 50 km
wide!wide!

14. MRC and Flow ManagementMRC and Flow Management
Assessment of Interventions
 This will involve cooperation between BDP,
WUP and EP

15. EP
Ecological &
Subsistence
Consequences
BDP
National/ Regional
Macroeconomic
Assessment:
(Hydropower, Irrigation,
Forestry, Fisheries, Other
BDP
Other
stakeholders
Decision Makers
Proposed Interventions
BDP
Options
WUP
Consequences :
Water Quantity & Quality
Define Scope

16. MRC and FlowMRC and Flow
ManagementManagement
meeting the needsmeeting the needs
maintaining themaintaining the
balancebalance