Environmental Monitoring and Assessment in the …...1 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment in the Lower Mekong Basin Wijarn Simachaya Director, Environment Program Mekong River

1

Environmental Monitoring and Environmental Monitoring and Assessment in the Lower Assessment in the Lower

Mekong BasinMekong Basin

Wijarn SimachayaWijarn SimachayaDirector, Environment ProgramDirector, Environment Program

Mekong River CommissionMekong River CommissionVientiane, Lao PDRVientiane, Lao PDR

Outlines of the PresentationOutlines of the Presentation

IntroductionEnvironmental Monitoring

Water QualityToxic SubstancesBiological Monitoring

Status of Environment QualityEnvironmental Flow ManagementConclusion and Recommendations

-- One of worldOne of world’’sslongest riverslongest riversapprox 4,800km approx 4,800km -- Most diverse and Most diverse and abundant biodiversityabundant biodiversity-- Six riparian nationsSix riparian nations

CountryCatchment Area Average Flow

km2 % m3/s %China 165,000 21 2,410 16Myanmar 24,000 3 300 2Thailand 184,000 23 2,560 18Lao PDR 202,000 25 5,270 35Cambodia 155,000 20 2,860 18Viet Nam 65,000 8 1,660 11Total 795,000 100 15,060 100

Contribution to Contribution to mainstream flowmainstream flow

“1995 Agreement on the Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin”

Source of water for irrigated and naturally watered cropsSource of water supply

0

20

40

60

80

100

millio

ns

1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Cambodia Lao PDR Thailand LMB Viet Nam LMB

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

Cambodia Lao PDR Thailand NEThailand

Viet Nam VN MekongDelta

GD

P pe

r cap

ita (U

SD)

1990199519982000

Poverty

Deforestation, Shifting Cultivation Deforestation, Shifting Cultivation and Soil Erosionand Soil Erosion

DroughtsDroughts

FloodsFloods

Increasing risks of Increasing risks of water pollutionwater pollution

industryindustryurban development urban development agricultureagriculture

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

dry season wet season

High seasonal variabilityHigh seasonal variability

Development GoalDevelopment Goal

More Effective Use of the Mekong’s Water and Related Resources to Alleviate Poverty While Protecting the

Environment

VisionVision for the Mekong Basinfor the Mekong Basin

an economically prosperous,an economically prosperous,socially justsocially just

and environmentally soundand environmentally soundMekong River BasinMekong River Basin

Environment ProgrammeEnvironment ProgrammeMekong River Commission (MRC)Mekong River Commission (MRC)

Address environmental and related Address environmental and related social issues to ensure balanced social issues to ensure balanced development in the Basin.development in the Basin.

An environmentally sound, An environmentally sound, economically prosperous and economically prosperous and socially just Mekong River Basinsocially just Mekong River Basin

It provides the Environmental It provides the Environmental framework for the MRC.framework for the MRC.

Environmental MonitoringEnvironmental Monitoring

Water Quality MonitoringWater Quality MonitoringSampling stations:

55 Primary Stations35 Secondary Stations

Parameters: Physio-chemical, biological parameters include: Temp, Tur, TSS, Ca, Mg, Na, K, HCO3, Cl, SO4, pH, EC, DO, COD, AlNew Parameters: Chlorophyll-a, Fecal BacteriaSampling: monthly basisSampling and Analysis by four riparian countries

Toxic Substances StudyToxic Substances Study

Water and Sediment in 2003-2004BTEX, PAHs, Total Hydrocarbons, Heavy metals As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Hg), Pesticides (organochlorine, organophosphate, and triazine), Dioxin and furans, CyanideThe concentrations of most analysedtoxicants in most sampling sites are low and only minor impact in some areas.

Biological MonitoringBiological MonitoringAims to assess and monitor the long-term ecological health of the lower Mekong River

Based on analysis of biological communities (biomonitoring)

Supported by physical and chemical measurements Ecosystem health monitoring, using bio-assessment techniques. Covers the basin (3 year cycle).

2006 will focus on flood plains and delta in Cambodia and Vietnam.Parameters:- Channel and bottom macroinvertebrates- Littoral and rock macroinvertebrates- Benthic diatoms- Zooplankton

Why Why biologicalbiological monitoring?monitoring?Biological monitoring is used worldwide for ecological health assessment of rivers

Complements physical and chemical monitoring – not a substitute

Biological indicators– Indicate past as well as present pollution– Can detect impacts that may be missed by standard

chemical tests– Are often of concern to the general public

How do we assess ecological health of How do we assess ecological health of the Mekong?the Mekong?

Very little ecological health assessment has been done on large tropical rivers

Assessment methods mostly developed for shallow streams in Europe, North America, Australia

We are making use of international experience BUT

The program is developing methods specifically suited to the Mekong

Proposed 21 Sampling Sites for Ecological Health Assessment in 2005-2007 in LMB

Sites studies in 2005

Proposed sites for 2006

Proposed sites for 2007

Option for 2007

Proposed 21 Sampling Sites for Ecological Health Assessment for 2006 in LMB

- Sites in Cambodia (13)

- Sites in Vietnam (8)

1

2

34

5

6

7

8

9

10

1113

12

14

15

20

1916

17

18

21

Four biological communitiesFour biological communities

Benthic diatoms

Zooplankton

Littoral invertebrates

Benthic invertebrates

Collecting samplesCollecting samplesReal area for collecting samples in Mekong River

5 m.

100 m.

Sampling CollectionSampling Collection

Status of Environmental QualityStatus of Environmental Quality

Water qualityOverall good qualitySmall number of sites with deteriorating quality A small number of sites with sediment toxicity

Indicative Mekong Basin Report Card on Environment Condition

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

1995

1994

TOTN

_mg/

L

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

.5

0.02004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

1995

1994

TOTP

_mg/

L

.200

.175

.150

.125

.100

.075

.050

.025

0.000

Total P in The Mekong River Total N in The Mekong River

Social Impact Monitoring (SIM)Social Impact Monitoring (SIM)SIM is an important activity that aims at establishing a system of continued observation, measurement and evaluation for the defined purpose of promoting sustainable development in the basin

More than 20 indicators have been used with division into three sub-groups :

Healtheg. Access to safe drinking water

Prevalence of diarrhea Livelihoods

eg. Income from landsIncome from forest product and fisheriesFood security

Vulnerabilityeg. Households rendered homeless from floods/landslides

per yearNumber of deaths from disasters and water related activities

Water Management Tool Decision Support Framework

K n o w le d g e B a s e (K B )

P la n n in g a n d m o n ito r in g d a ta s u c h a s :

M R C D e c is io n S u p p o rt F ra m e w o rk (D S F )

D S F U s e r In te r fa c e a n d T o o ls

B a s in S im u la tio n M o d e llin g P a c k a g e

S W A T

IQ Q M

IS IS

Im p a c t A n a ly s is T o o ls ( IA T )

R e p o rtin g T o o ls

• h y d ro lo g ic a l re c o rd s

• p h y s ic a l d a ta • s o c io -e c o n o m ic

a n d e n v iro n m e n ta l d a ta

• s c e n a r io d e s c r ip tio n d a ta

• s im u la tio n m o d e l in p u t d a ta

• s im u la tio n m o d e l re s u lts

Hydrological model

Hydrodynamic model

Simulation model

Environmental Flow Environmental Flow Management Management (Integrated Basin Flow Management)(Integrated Basin Flow Management)

Environmental Flow is?– Flow regime that left in the river to

ensure downstream environmental, social and economic benefits

– Goal of EF is to provide a flow regime that is adequate in terms of quantity, quality and timing for sustaining the health of the rivers and other aquatic ecosystems.

What is the process followed in an What is the process followed in an holistic environmental flow holistic environmental flow assessment?assessment?

Understand the riverUnderstand the riverUnderstand how people use the riverUnderstand how people use the riverPredict how the river could change with flow Predict how the river could change with flow changechangePredict how this could affect the river usersPredict how this could affect the river usersPlace predictions into regional economic Place predictions into regional economic contextcontextProduce findings in a form that stakeholders Produce findings in a form that stakeholders can understand and decisioncan understand and decision--makers can usemakers can use

ConclusionConclusion

Environmental analysis indicate overall healthy river, a small number of minor impacted sites.

RecommendationsRecommendations

Regional environmental management plan Total catchmentmanagement (TCM)Capacity building and public participation

Irrig

atio

n, A

gric

ultu

re a

ndFo

rest

ry

Floo

d m

anag

emen

t

Hyd

ropo

wer

Nav

igat

ion

Fish

erie

s

Tour

ism

EnvironmentManagement

Information andknowledge management

Integrated Capacity Building

Water Utilization

Mekong Programme

Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Development of Water and Related Resourcesin the Mekong River Basin

Dro

ught

man

agem

ent

Basin Development Plan

Historic changeHistoric change

Major dams in China

Small to medium dams in LMB

Irrigation development

Forest cover reduction

Freshwater fisheriesBrackish water fisheries

High population densities