| This action submitted in Local Actions at 4th World Water Forum (2006). | |
| Date | Mar.2,2007 |
| Region | Asia |
| Country | Laos |
| Actor(s) [Nation (Ministry, Agency)/Organization] |
WUP-FIN Lower Mekong Modelling Project |
| Partner(s) | 1)Finnish Environment Institute SYKE, lead, a governmental R&D centre Water Resources Laboratory of the Helsinki University of Technology, TKK Environmental Impact Assessment Centre of Finland EIA Ltd. |
| Title | WUP-FIN Lower Mekong Modeling Project |
| Objective | Changes in the flow and water quality regime of the Mekong River have impacts on flooding, fisheries and agriculture, navigation, erosion, sedimentation, and consequent socio-economic functions in the basin. WUP-FIN project will provide information to help in solving and mitigating these problems. Basin developments, such as irrigation schemes and hydropower dams and reservoirs, are a threat to downstream ecosystems by changing their hydrological, sediment transport and nutrient cycling regime, fertility and fisheries productivity. Tonle Sap Lake, the main source for fisheries productivity in the Mekong basin is under specific threat. Key questions are how changes in Mekong flooding (timing, magnitude, duration) and flood water quality (sediments and nutrients) affect the productivity of the flood plains. This project will create tools to address these critical questions and thus ultimately help support the livelihood of millions of people. Many sites of the Mekong River are suffering from bank erosion problems endangering the nearby settlements and infrastructures. The Vientiane area has been identified among the most critical ones. Similar concerns have been expressed by other riparian countries as well. The project will address these problems by developing an advanced modelling tool for analysing and simulating river bank erosion processes and providing help in designing bank protection structures. Regulation and development of the Mekong River, not least in the Mekong Delta, creates formidable management challenges. The management components consist of mitigating floods, maintaining productivity of aquaculture and fisheries, providing fertile sediments for agriculture, regulating saline and fresh water in an optimal way for agriculture and aquaculture, ensuring flushing of acid soils and maintaining acceptable hygienic status and quality of water. Transboundary impacts and conflicting interests of stakeholders complicate the problem further. This project can provide tools that use a comprehensive framework to manage the complex problems of the Mekong Delta. The activity follows the aims and policies of the Finnish development co-operation, with objectives to promote • regional cooperation in the Mekong basin, including transboundary impact assessment • environmental protection and sustainability • poverty alleviation The main efforts made and tools prepared to promote the achievement and impact in the above objectives have been 1. Maintenance and sustainability of the developed assessment tools and assurance of their continuing use and future development through extensive training and cooperation efforts 2. Assessment of changes in people’s livelihood conditions, as a result of basin wide and local developments, and proposing guidelines for maintaining favourable conditions especially for fisheries and agricultural productivity 3. Assessing the role of socio-economic sector policies in achieving development objectives (economic growth, poverty reduction, environmental protection) and finding win-win solutions between the stakeholders at national and basin wide level. The efforts are expected to enhance economic growth and poverty alleviation in the basin by developing human capacities for improved and more efficient planning and use of natural resources, excluding neither the assessment of environmental impacts nor the control of the negative effects. |
| Contents | Mekong River Basin is shared by six Southeast Asian countries of China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. With the total length of approximately 4880 km and annual runoff of around 475 km3 the Mekong is the major river in Southeast Asia and among the biggest rivers in the world. Around 70 million people live in the basin, most of them directly dependent on the natural resources and water for their livelihood. At the same time the region is facing economic development and urbanisation, combined with rapid population growth particularly in Laos and Cambodia. All these issues have an impact on the exploitation of river’s resources. For example irrigation schemes, hydropower development and navigation projects are all likely to impact the water resources, and consequently, environment and the people in different ways. There is, however, still lack of both information and capacity to address these environmental, social and economic impacts in a balanced way. WUP-FIN Lower Mekong Modelling Project has two phases: • Phase 1 (2001-2004): Modelling of the Flow Regime and Water Quality of the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia • Phase 2 (2004-2006): Hydrological, Environmental and Socio-Economic Modelling Tools for the Lower Mekong Basin Impact Assessment The project focuses on target areas in the following locations: • Tonle Sap Lake and floodplain (Cambodia)—Research is undertaken to understand processes in the lake and its floodplain, as well as their impact on the region and the vulnerability of their ecosystem and biological productivity to developments in the upstream basin. • Mekong Delta (Vietnam)—WUP-FIN models are applied to the delta to enhance understanding of the complex hydrological, ecosystem and socio-economic processes and understand how conflicting water needs can be met. Mekong Delta model will be combined with the Cambodian floodplain and Tonle Sap models. • Nam Songkhram Watershed (Thailand)—Watershed and floodplain models are applied for simulation of hydrological processes and estimation of environmental and socio-economic impacts of development scenarios. • Vientiane and Nong Khai area (Lao PDR and Thailand)—The project develops an advanced modelling tool to analyze river bank erosion processes and causes, focusing on the Vientiane- Nong Khai transboundary area along the Mekong main stream, to help in developing bank protection measures. |
| Means of Implementation |
StakeHolder; Mekong River Commission Secretariat National Mekong Committees of Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand Ministries and National Institutions: In Cambodia • Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology • Department of Hydrology and River Works • Ministry of Public Works and Transport • Department of Waterways • Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries • Department of Fisheries • Department of Agriculture • Inland Fisheries Research and Development Institute of (IFREDI) • Ministry of Rural Development • Royal University of Phnom Penh • Royal University of Agriculture • Institute of Technology of Cambodia In Laos • Ministry of Communication, Transport, Post and Construction / Waterways Administration Division • Department of Communication, Transport, Post and Construction of Vientiane Capital • Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry/ Department of Irrigation • National University of Lao PDR In Thailand • Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment • Department of Water Resources • Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation • Royal Irrigation Department • Khon Kaen University In Vietnam • Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Development • Southern Institute for Water Resources Research • Sub-Institute for Water Resources Planning • Institute of Agricultural Planning and Projection • Ministry of Fisheries • Research institute for Aquaculture • Southern Region Hydro- Meteorological Center • Can Tho University • HCM City University of Technology • Water Resources University 2nd base, HCM City • University of Natural Sciences, HCM City International collaborators (funding agencies, projects, academic institutions, NGOs) Means; Mekong River Commission • project contracting party and custodian of the developed models and tools • recipient of on-the-job training and capacity building for the use, development and maintaining of the of the models • recipient of Technical Assistance for its sectoral programmes (WUP, BDP, EP, FP..) for the implementation of the Mekong Agreement 1995 National Mekong Committees, Line Agencies and their provincial departments • national coordinators of project activities and recipient of training of its staff for model use • counterparts and co-operators in project activities (field studies and monitoring), capacity building and training, recipients of capacity building for their staff members through workshops and on-the-job training National Universities • recipients of training for the teachers and students through lectures, workshops and on-the-job training • recipients of support for academic thesis work and research • collaborators in developing curriculum and other teaching material Stakeholders are involved in the project activities throughout the project duration. The local counterpart services and participation have been used as much as possible for the implementation of project activities (filed studies and monitoring, laboratory services, socio-economic surveys and training). Services and participation have been compensated through scholarships, DSAs and laboratory fees. International collaborators, WUP-FIN model users and beneficiaries Washington State University (cooperation in basin wide hydrological simulation) Yamanashi University, Japan. Geomorphology and sediment transport survey of Mekong River (cooperation in basin wide survey) Buffalo State University, Washington state University, RDI, IFReDI. Cooperation in sediment, water quality and fish larvae studies in Tonle Sap area Monash University, Australia. Contribution of carbon from various sources in ecosystem (fisheries) productivity of the Tonle Sap lake and flood plain system (modelling support to a Cambodian PhD student) Asian Development Bank (ADB) Tonle Sap Livelihoods Project component: Tonle Sap Lake and floodplain as productive ecosystem (cooperation with MRAG, UK, in conceptual model development) ADB/World Fish Center Project ‘Technical Assistance for capacity building of IFReDI. Cooperation in modelling of Tonle Sap fish production Challenge- Programme Project: Mekong Region water Governance Research 2005-2008. Cooperation with Chiang Mai University and IUCN in case studies carried out in Mekong region on management of fisheries and aquaculture, flooding and irrigation infrastructure Mekong Wetlands Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use Programme (UNDP-IUCN-MRC-GEF). Cooperation in Thailand Nam Songkram watershed and floodplain study. Ideas; Management and planning of Mekong water and other natural resources necessitate understanding of the bio-geo-chemical system and human impacts on hydrological conditions, water quality, productivity and ecology of the water system. Most visible problems are connected to reservoirs, built structures, irrigation and land use changes. Erosion and sedimentation related problems in the river channels, lakes and floodplains are often not well understood and cause trans-boundary tensions. More or less local problems are connected to municipal, mining and industrial waste water discharges, harmful substance loads from agriculture and aquaculture impacts. Specific problems of the Vietnamese Delta are management of acid sulphate soils and salinity intrusion both of which are dependent on the upstream developments as well as local actions. Flood forecasting and control are needed for the whole Lower Mekong Basin and regional impacts of the flood control structures are not well known. Understanding of the critical factors regulating the fish productivity especially in the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia is crucial for the livelihood of the Cambodian and to some extent to the whole Lower Mekong population. The multitude and nature of the problems has necessitated development of advanced modelling, as the only practical tool to handle the wide scope of the inter-connected problems. It was necessary to adapt and integrated previous modelling tools because no existing modelling system was capable of describing the 3-dimensional characteristics of the flooding, flow, water quality, erosion and sedimentation in the lakes, reservoirs, river channels and floodplains. The resulting model system accommodates meteorological, hydrological, topographic, land use and infrastructure characteristics of any modelling area and produces 3D hydrodynamics and water quality. The modelling platform including data processing, model control, GIS, database control, model data products and visualization is de-coupled from the actual model engines. Because of this it is easy to accommodate new developments or models. The model system development has realised as a long term commitment by the WUP-FIN project partners. Development work has required about 100 man years and three decades. Model system has been used in more than 250 research, engineering and consultancy studies. The key factors in the acceptance and sustained use of the modelling system are its transparency, ease of use also for non-experts, clear data products and reasonable computation times. The use of the modelling system is further facilitated with liberal non-commercial licensing policy. This has helped bring in a broad involvement of actors in WUP-FIN training, cooperation and model development, and guaranteed future maintenance and use of the developed tools. The actors include Mekong River Commission, National Mekong Committees, governmental line agencies and universities. A large number of international projects have benefited from the WUP-FIN results and in return supported WUP-FIN with expertise, field measurements and analysis of the results. Costs; Total costs Phase 1 (2001-2004): 1,4 mill USD Phase 2 (2004-2006): 2,0 mill USD Project is financed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Development Cooperation Department, through the Mekong River Commission |
| CSD Decision |
D-d-(ii):Providing technical and management support to local authorities and community-based organizations, taking into account research, traditional knowledge and best practices, to improve water resources management within national policy frameworks; D-d-(vi):Facilitating information exchange and knowledge sharing, including indigenous and local knowledge; D-g-(iv):Transferring monitoring technologies adaptable to local conditions; |
| Attachment | |
| Situation | Complete |
| Target Year | Successful model development and impact assessment necessitates effective institutional cooperation, sharing and integration of data and information and formation of cooperative expert networks. The first Phase of the WUP-FIN Project proved to be successful in this field. The extension of the project to new countries and a multitude of institutions further highlights the need to even more concentrate in collaboration and networking and avoid the risks of failure in this critical issue. The biggest challenge lies in the capacity building and long-term sustainability of the project results, the maintenance and future use of the developed skills and transfer of knowledge and capacity. At the institutional side, the risk of losing key personnel (e.g due to financial or institutional reasons) is a real threat and must be continuously addressed and institutional solutions found. Effective cooperation with the local experts, ranging from the MRCS and NMCs to the line agencies and universities during the project duration will lower the risk of sustainability losses. It offers an extended possibility to maintain the consistent connections, between the national and riparian collaborators and the WUP-FIN team as well as other established international contacts, even beyond the project duration. The modelling tools are primarily made for the MRCS Modelling team and sector programmes to utilise and further develop the tools at the MRCS for the variety of tasks of MRC e.g. flood management, planning of water uses and basin development, navigation plans, fisheries development etc. National Line Agencies and universities plan to use the developed tools and knowledge for technical assistance projects within the Mekong Basin and in other basins, for research as well as for teaching and further capacity building. There is a basic commitment by the Finnish Government to continue supporting the Mekong River Commission and the national institutions providing technical assistance in information system development, including hydrological, environmental and socio-economic modelling and impact assessment tools and user capacity. The overall indicator of the success and effectiveness of the project can be measured by increased knowledge, formation of cooperative networks and the extent of use of the results. Already in its first phase, the WUP-FIN project has proven to be quite successful in all of these fields. It has been able to create a comprehensive knowledge base and tools, which are used in an extensive network of institutes, primarily by the MRCS and the riparian national institutions, but also by other collaborators and stakeholders. One of these users is the ADB especially in relation to its extensive activity in Tonle sap area. A very positive indication of project success is the great deal of academic studies linked to the WUP-FIN model system use. They tend to bring primary new information and data of the river and floodplain system behaviour, which is necessary for realistic modelling and impact assessment under future developments. |
| Target Area / Place | Region:Asia-Pacific Scope:Basin |
| Expected Outcome(S) | WUP-FIN Lower Mekong Modelling Project is proposed to be registered as a Local Action for the Topic Session “IWRM as a basis for transboundary cooperation in the Mekong Region - how to involve all the actors?” planned for the 4th World Water Forum in Mexico City on March 2006. Consequently, the overall contribution of the WUP-FIN Project as a Local Action in the Mekong River Basin can be summarised as follows: • Capacity building and training of local experts for sustainable use of developed tools • Providing analytical tools to help in maintaining favourable conditions of the river and its floodplains and in ensuring sustainable management of its resources • Creating guidelines for water resources management and ecosystem protection • Providing well-founded and objective information about transboundary impacts • Facilitating dialogue and cooperation between the different actors in local, national, regional and international levels • Experiences from the cross- and multi-disciplinarity at the project level are encouraging: water modelling project benefits from multi-disciplinary approach where focus is broadened to include also e.g. socio-economic and policy analyses. • Positive experience from combining consultancy work and research: WUP-FIN Project puts strong emphasis on research both within the project and when cooperating with local counterparts and international collaborators. The results and experiences from the project are published also as scientific journal articles, book chapters and conference presentations: this makes the projects work more transparent and public, and the communication brings new aspects and ideas for the entire project. The results and products can be scaled up in other regions, i.e. models, integrated assessment methods, support for trans-boundary cooperation as well as training programmes for extensive user and beneficiary networks. The developed models are widely applicable in other river basins, wetlands, lakes and coastal regions. |
| Relevance to the Plan of Implementation of WSSD |
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| Progress | |
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| Other Information |
Type of Action; Plan Relevant Agencies; Government,Multilateral,NGO Orientation; Preventive Replicability; Yes 4th World Water Forum: Local Actions ID; LA0313 Forum Secretariat Recommendation ; No Kyoto Prize Finalist; No Presented in Sessions; No Original Language; English |
| Contact Person | Juha Sarkkula |
| Position | Profile: Hydrological, hydrodynamic and water quality modelling for water resources management and environmental impact assessment Key qualifications: Management of inter-institutional and multidisciplinary projects. Expertise ranges from field measurements and data analysis to setting up water resources management guidelines. |
| juha.sarkkula@ymparisto.fi | |
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