Strategic Directions for Integrated Water Resources Management in the Lower Mekong Basin Prepared by the Mekong River Commission under the Basin Development Plan 1
Basin Development Plan 1. Regional planning process 2. Strategy for water resource development in the LMB 3. Agreed priority projects A management framework for the LMB 2
Basin Development Plan 1. Regional planning process 2. Strategy for water resource development in the LMB 3. Agreed priority projects A management framework for the LMB 3
Dimensions of Mekong water planning Sectors Agriculture / irrigation Hydropower Fisheries Navigation Domestic and industrial water and sanitation Flood management Watershed management Tourism 4
Dimensions of Mekong water planning Sectors Issues Rapid change Economic development Poverty alleviation Environment protection Social development and equity Climate variability Cross-sectoral integration Information-based management Regional cooperation Governance 5
Dimensions of Mekong water planning Sectors Issues Actors 60 million people 4 national governments 75 provincial governments >300 district and local governments irrigator, farmer and fisher groups river basin organisations regional programs and agencies (WB, ABD, ASEAN ) national and local NGOs private sector investors 6
Dimensions of Mekong water planning Sectors Issues Actors Knowledge Hydrological monitoring and models Scenario analysis (DSF) of impact of different development paths Impact of flow change on river health and livelihoods Social and economic dimensions 8,000 7,500 7,000 6,500 Time Series Analysis Tool 6,000 5,500 Flow(cumecs) 5,000 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 4/5/1996 6/4/1996 8/3/1996 10/2/1996 12/1/1996 1/30/1997 3/31/1997 gfedcb [S16] Chiang Saen: Flow (Simulated flow ) gfedcb [S2] Chiang Saen: Flow (Simulated flow ) 01/Jan/1985-31/Dec/2000 7
Dimensions of Mekong water planning Complex, diverse, interconnected system need to influence all decision makers and investors joint approach is essential, but single master plan is not feasible Common ground dependence on the river change information 8
Integrated Water Resource Management Efficiency in water resource development and use Equity in water resource allocation Environmental protection Integration and coordination across sectors, regions, stakeholder interests Knowledge-driven planning and management Community and stakeholder participation Good governance 9
BDP Paper: Strategic Directions for IWRM in the LMB Joint statement from MRC countries sets out principles and values shared by LMB countries regarding water resources development identifies agreed regional strategic directions to encourage cooperation and investment Integrates national strategies and plans, adds regional perspective promotes integrated water resource management in LMB Consultation and negotiation over 3 years under BDP Broad stakeholder involvement coordinated through NMCs Consultation with regional programs, donors MRC programs, sector reviews 10
Key result areas Economic development and poverty alleviation Environment protection Social development and equity Dealing with climate variability Integration through basin planning Information-based management Regional cooperation Governance 11
Priority areas for action Priority areas within each key result area Priority areas for within each sector Common themes from all sectors Develop consistent regional strategies for key sectors Improve cross-sectoral planning through coordinated land use planning (community participation) Value-adding through processing, market development and improved access to markets Agreed set of indicators to assess trade-offs between sectors and stakeholders 12
Partnerships for IWRM Implementation will rely on a broad coalition of governments at all levels, private sector, communities, UN and other international organizations, research institutions, international financial institutions and donor agencies. 13
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Vientiane plain and Nam Ngum 15
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Ubon Ratchatani Isan Plateau Northeast Thailand 17
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Scenario analysis example - Tonle Sap Hydrological changes to Tonle Sap due to changes on floodplain (road embankments, dykes, clearing) are same order of magnitude as upstream dam development 65,000 60,000 55,000 50,000 Baseline Chinese Dams Low Development Irrigation High Development 45,000 40,000 m 3 /s 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 Maximum Area (km 2 ) 0 1998 1999 2000 Annual Maximum Flooded Area Downstream Kratie 50,000 Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3 Scenario 4 45,000 Scenario 5 40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 21 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000