Mekong’s low flows linked to drought, says MRC study
MRC No.03/04
Phnom Penh , 26 March 2004
The Mekong’s low levels at present are related to the dry conditions that have persisted since last year, according to a preliminary technical analysis released today by the Mekong River Commission secretariat. The report was discussed at the meeting of the Mekong River Commission’s Joint Committee in Ho Chi Minh city, which ended today.
The analysis, based on river height and rainfall data spanning several decades, shows that the current dry conditions are not directly linked with Manwan or any other Chinese dams.
“If low flows in the lower Mekong were caused by retention of water in dams in China, we would expect that the dry conditions would be more extreme at the upstream sites near China. In fact, the data shows it has been dryer at Pakse in southern Lao PDR than at Chiang Saen in Thailand, which is closer to China,” said Dr Ian Campbell, senior environment specialist at the Mekong River Commission secretariat.
Although the dry conditions at present are not linked with the Chinese dams, scientists at the Mekong River Commission secretariat found that the dams did have some other impacts.
“After the completion of the Manwan dam in 1992, water levels downstream became more variable at Chiang Saen, 200 kilometres downstream from the Chinese border,” said Dr Campbell. “This change will undoubtedly have had an impact on fish and other aquatic life in the river. We are working to get more information on these aspects. There has also been a decrease in sediment concentrations in the river, due to sediment being trapped inside the dam.”
China has had ongoing technical cooperation with the Mekong River Commission since April 2002 for sharing of information about river levels during the flood season from June to October each year. The MRC has assisted the Chinese government with the installation of hydrological monitoring equipment at two locations on the Upper Mekong, at Yunjinghong and Manan. Formal dialogue meetings between China and the Mekong River Commission countries, also considering enhanced data exchange, are held once a year.
Ends.
Click here to see document on the present low flows in the Lower Mekong Basin (pdf 133KB)
For more information, please contact:
Dr
Ian Campbell, Senior Environment Specialist, phone: local –
(012)990-650 and international (855-12)990-650; fax: (855-23)720-979
or email campbell@mrcmekong.org
Ms
Delia Paul, Communications Officer, phone: local - (012)807-979
and international (855-12)807-979; fax: (855-23)720-972 or email
delia@mrcmekong.org
TopChoose a newsletter: