Network for Sustainable Hydropower Development for Mekong Region with the support of MRC-GIZ Cooperation Programme from the Research Center for Environmental and Hazardous Substance Management of Khon Kaen University gave a presentation on Trans-Boundary Issue.

1. Assoc.
Prof.
Wanpen
Wirojanagud,
Ph.D.
Research
Center
for
Environmental
and
Hazardous
Substance
Management
Fac
ulty
of
Engineering,
Khon
Kaen
University
Trans-Boundary Issue

2. River Basin
§ A
river
basin
is
the
land
that
water
flows
across
or
under
on
its
way
to
a
river.
Just
as
a
bathtub
catches
all
of
the
water
that
falls
within
its
sides,
a
river
basin
sends
all
of
the
water
falling
within
it
to
a
central
river
and
out
to
an
estuary
or
to
the
ocean.
§
Everyone
lives
in
a
river
basin.
§
It
is
part
of
an
ecological
address.

3. Relationship of Ecosystem Services
and Human Well Being
Ecosystem
Ecosystem
services
Human Well
Being
Biodiversity
Natural Resources
and Environment

4. About the Mekong River
the
International
river
Flows
southward
Upper
Mekong
Basin
Parts
of
China
and
Myanmar
Lower
Mekong
basin
Lao
PDR
Thailand
Cambodia
Vietnam
South
China
Sea
4,800
km
distance
795,000
km2
drainage
area
Annual
runoff
of
475,000
MCM.

5. About the Mekong River
§ The
Mekong
River
~
Complexity
of
managing
trans-­‐boundary
rivers
~
Use
of
water
and
related
resources
in
one
country
can
have
negative
effects
in
the
other
countries.
Trans-boundary issue ?
Trans-boundary impact?

6.
National
Report
on
Water
Quality
from
a
trans-­‐
boundary
perspective,
the
national
Mekong
Committee,
May
2003).
Trans-boundary Issue/Impact
“an undertaking, intervention or process is trans-boundary
if its impact is felt on the other side of a boarder.
It thus comprises of an undertaking, intervention or natural
process at one place and impact at another location
Such impact may be permanent, seasonal
or even shorter duration”

7. Trans-boundary issue
§ Trans-­‐boundary
issues
-­‐Identified
by
investigation
and/or
research
§ Potential
trans-­‐boundary
issues
-­‐
Used
instead
of
Trans-­‐boundary
issue
-­‐
Could
be
assessed
by
monitoring
data
on
water
quantity
(flow)
and
quality

8. Trans-boundary issue
§ Trans-­‐boundary
issues
-­‐Identified
by
investigation
and/or
research
§ Potential
trans-­‐boundary
issues
-­‐
Used
instead
of
Trans-­‐boundary
issue
-­‐
Sedimentation,
water
quality
deterioration,
water
quantity
alteration

9. Trans-boundary issue
What
are
the
potential
transboundary
issue
and
impact?

10. Sedimentation
Cauase
- Upland cultivation
- Deforestation
- Development project
along the Mekong river
and its tributaries
- Natural erosion in the
Upper Mekong Basin
- Bank erosion
High sediment volume
impacts on
- Aquatic ecosystem
- Unbalance of wetland
ecosystem
- shallowing of rivers
waterways, and
wetland
- Wetland deterioration
causes decrement of
fish population
- decrement of fish
population affect to
riparian people
Impact

11. Cauase
- Development project
along the Mekong river
- Commercialization/
Industrial and
urbanization upstream
* Discharging
wastewater/solid waste
into the river directly
- Agriculture and fishery
along the Mekong river
and its tributaries
* Run off contaminated
with pesticide/herbicide,
and chemical/organic
fertilizer
- Oil spill
- Depletion of fishery
resource
- Deterioration of
aquatic ecosystem
- Fish stock declining
- Public health and
quality of life
- Higher cost for water
treatment
Impact
Water Quality
Deterioration

12. Ø Are
such
parameters
trans-­‐boundary
issue
and
impacts???
***
Require
investigation
and
assessment
Remark?
Ø
How
to
minimize
the
trans-­‐boundary
impacts???
***Technical,
social
and
regulation
measures

13. EMPs and Project Management
PROJECT CYCLE
EMP (2)
Pre-feasibility
Construction
EIAApproval
ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT
CYCLE
HP
Siting

14.
Environment
–
EIA
EIA
-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐
mitigation
+
monitoring
EMPs
Environmental
flow
-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐-­‐Mitigation
Environmental
flow
Feasibility
study
Engineering
+Economic+
Environment

15. Multiple
Use
Advanta
ges Considerations
Multiple Use and
Environmental Flows Challenges
E-flows

16. What
are
the
purposes
of
dams?

17. Multi-­‐purpose
dams

18. Advantages
Multiple
bene1its
from
a
single
investment.
More
attractive
to
international
1inancial
assistance
Fit
well
into
regional
development
programmes
Complement
strategies
for
climate
change
adaptation

19. CHALLENGES
Climate
change
impacts
Regulatory
demands
Attracting
private
investors

20. Environmental
flows
Variety of terminology
IFR
–
in-­‐stream
flow
requirement
Environmental
Water
Requirements
Ecological
Reserve
Ecological
Flows

21. What
is
Environmental
flows
Environmental
flows
describe
the
quantity,
timing
and
quality
of
water
flows
required
to
sustain
freshwater
ecosystems
and
the
human
livelihoods
and
well-­‐being
that
depend
on
these
ecosystems
Brisbane
Declaration,
2007,
10th
International
River
Symposium
and
Environmental
Flows
Conference

22. What
is
Environmental
flows
An
environmental
flow
is
not
the
amount
of
water
needed
to
maintain
an
ecosystem
in
close-­‐to-­‐pristine
condition
.
Flow
is
allocated
to
its
following
a
process
of
environmental,
social
and
economic
assessment.
It
will
be
the
flow
that
maintains
ecosystem
or
river
less
than
pristine
condition,
but
acceptable
to
the
decision
making
process.
This
is
a
societal
judgment
that
will
vary
from
country
to
country
and
region
to
region.

23.
New:
how
to
design
to
meet
multiple
interests?
Existing:
how
to
improve
operations
to
maximise
benefits
and
avoid
problems
for
some
stakeholders?

24. E-­‐flow
E-­‐
Flow
Maintain
ecosystem
services
Requires
rigorous
assessments
and
baseline
data
O7en
trade-­‐offs
between
social,
economic
and
environmental
values
have
to
be
nego=ated
Alloca=ng
water
for
the
environment
Need
for
water
and
energy
planning
objec=ves
to
be
integrated
E-Flow

25. E-­‐Flow
assessment
method
Method Advantages Disadvantages
Hydrological
Index
(½
month)
• Low
cost,
rapid
to
use
Look-­‐up
tables,
Desktop
analysis
• Not
site
specific,
ecological
links
assumed
Hydraulic
rating
(2-­‐4
months)
• Low
cost,
site
specific:
Wetted
perimeter
• Ecological
links
assumed
Habitat
simulation
(6-­‐18
months)
• Ecological
links
included
:
in-­‐stream
incremental
methodology,
PHABSIM
–
physical
habitat
simulation
• Extensive
data
collection
and
use
of
experts,
high
cost
Holistic
(12-­‐36
months)
• Covers
most
aspects
(Building
Block
Method,
Downstream
Response
to
Imposed
Flow
Trans-­‐
formation,
Expert
panels)
• Requires
very
large
scientific
expertise,
very
high
cost

26. Considerations for multiple use and E-
flows
Different scales and perspectives:
Project – project level impacts
Basin – whole of basin, sub-basin, plan view with or
without relief
Instream/cross-sectional – different types of hydropower
release regimes cause different effects
Longitudinal – cascade developments, long-distance,
short-distance
Temporal – years, months, days/hours, event-based
Decision making procedure, finance and budgeting

27. Environmental
flows
Corporate
strategy
ú Which
rivers?
ú Priorities?
Environmental
flow
development
ú Generation/
operation
ú Trading
ú Ecological
ú Stakeholder
ú Recreational
ú Commercial
ú Water
supply

28. Thank
you
for
your
attention
!