Download or read book Evaluation of the Impact of Natural and Anthropogenic Factors on River Flow and Groundwater in a Mekong River Sub basin Laos written by Somphasith Douangsavanh and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Water is essential for all living things on the planet, growing the economy and sustaining the world's ecosystems. Human-made water infrastructure regulates about three-quarters of the world's river networks to meet the socio-economic development demand. A common approach applied involves upstream regulation of major rivers. However, this can significantly change river flow regimes and stages downstream. Many studies have assessed the impact of the use of surface water for hydropower development via scenarios and estimation of environmental consequences on river flows, fisheries, aquaculture, and livelihoods. However, little is known of the impact of change in the river flow regimes, as consequences of anthropogenic factors, on surface water-groundwater interactions and groundwater systems. This thesis contributes to reducing this knowledge gap by studying these impacts and effects by comparing the pristine and post-dam conditions of the Nam Ngum River Basin, a major tributary of the Mekong River in Laos. -- This research addresses the impact of human activities and climatic factors from the pre- to post-dam period on river flow regimes and connected groundwater systems. Specifically, the aims of this research are as follows: (1) evaluating the impacts of anthropogenic induced changes in water yield by observing the trends and driving factors; (2) assessing the impact of irrigation water, diverted from the surface water, on different water balance components (i.e., groundwater recharge, actual evapotranspiration, surface runoff, and interception); (3) evaluating the impact of river stages, as a consequence of hydropower reservoir operations, on downstream groundwater systems. The body of the thesis consists of five chapters: Chapter 1 provides a global overview of river regulation and describes the geographical context for the study area with problem statements, research aims and contribution of the PhD research, while the main part of the thesis is Chapter 2 to 4, which are written in the style of potential academic papers. Chapter 5 provides a summary of the main findings and conclusions from the three main chapters of the thesis as well as suggestions for the importance of future research. -- The first part of this research (Chapter 2) examines the historically observed river flow patterns caused by anthropogenic and natural hydroclimatic drivers and investigates factors that significantly affect the river flow regime. This part also estimates how the river flow affects the water yield in a downstream basin (water productivity generated in the basin) from the pre- to post-dam period. Methods used are statistical trend analysis of relevant indicators such as GRACE total water storage, soil moisture, and actual evapotranspiration. The results show that the river flow was highly seasonal under pre-dam conditions, and the river was losing water to the groundwater in the dry season. However, in the post-dam period, the monsoonal peak flow decreased by 39%, while the flow increased by 120% in the dry season. Moreover, the river has become gaining year-round from 2001 onwards. It is concluded that the water infrastructure has a greater impact on the river flow regime than the climate-related factors. The annual and dry season water yield exhibit an increasing trend from the pre- to post-dam period. -- The second part of the research (Chapter 3) evaluates the impact of irrigation water diverted from the river on groundwater recharge and other water balance components. This part aims to assess which portion of the groundwater recharge comes from irrigation schemes and will likely influence water yield in the downstream basin. The recharge and water balance components are quantified for the two different conditions: without irrigation schemes (pre-dam) and with irrigation (post-dam). The methodology is based on the WetSpass-M model. Estimated recharge is compared with assessments of the Water Table Fluctuation (WTF) method, showing an excellent agreement. It is concluded that irrigation has caused a relatively minor increase in groundwater recharge with an average of additional recharge (2012-2014) of 83 mm within the command irrigated areas and 6 mm for the basin-wide increase, resulting in a minimal influence on the water yield in the downstream part of the basin. The annual average recharge with irrigation schemes is assessed to be 444 mm, equivalent to 19% of the average annual rainfall. -- The final part of the research (Chapter 4) investigates the impact of changes in river flow regime and river stages due to upstream reservoirs on surface water-groundwater interactions and groundwater systems in the downstream part of the Lower Nam Ngum River Basin. Elements studied are the river-groundwater budget, water table, and groundwater balance in the pre- and post-dam periods. The study develops an interpretive groundwater conceptual model, which focuses on demonstrating the status of groundwater systems when river stages are changed. The model is simulated for the pre- and post-dam conditions using the recharge estimated in the second part of the thesis, observed river stages, and aquifer properties obtained from well-tests. The result shows the status and change in river interaction. In the pre-dam period, the river and its tributaries were losing in the rainy season and gaining water in the dry season. However, they have become gaining year-round in the post-dam period, except for two tributaries upstream exhibiting slight changes from the pre- to post-dam period. The surface water-groundwater exchange has significantly declined in the post-dam period compared to the pre-dam period; the amount of water lost and gained by the river system has reduced by 53% and 23%, respectively. The total amount of water entering and leaving the groundwater system also declines by 22% compared to the pre-dam period. The increase in river stages in the dry season has raised the groundwater tables in the riparian and downstream areas in the post-dam period. Apart from a number of benefits from damming and regulating large rivers (i.e., energy production, flood and drought mitigation, and irrigation development), these research findings show the impacts of dam development on groundwater systems. The reduced surface water-groundwater interaction in the post-dam condition also has potential consequences for reduced hyporheic exchange and hence increased vulnerability of the surface water-groundwater quality and ecosystems in the lower basin.
Download or read book The Mekong River Basin written by Hong Quan Nguyen and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2024-04-22 with total page 674 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Mekong River Basin: Ecohydrological Complexity from Catchment to Coast, Volume Three presents real facts, data and predictions for quantifying human-induced changes throughout the Mekong watershed, including its estuaries and coasts, and proposes solutions to decrease or mitigate the negative effect and enable sustainable development. This is the first work to link socio–ecological interaction study over the whole Mekong River basin through the lens of ecohydrology. Each chapter is written by a leading expert, with coverage on climate change, groundwater, land use, flooding drought, biodiversity and anthropological issues. Human activities are enormous in the whole watershed and are still increasing throughout the catchment, with severe negative impacts on natural resources are emerging. Among these activities, hydropower dams, especially a series of 11 dams in China, are the most critical as they generate massive changes throughout the system, including in the delta and to the livelihoods of millions of people and they threaten sustainability. Presents an extensive collection of eco-hydrological changes in the river basin driven by both nature and anthropological factors Provides state of the art modeling, data analysis methodologies for complex socio-ecological complexity applied in the Mekong river basin Includes specific cases of ecohydrology in the river basin, especially from the Mekong delta
Download or read book Water Resources in the Lancang Mekong River Basin Impact of Climate Change and Human Interventions written by Deliang Chen and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on with total page 377 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Evaluating the flow regulating effects of ecosystems in the Mekong and Volta river basins written by Lacombe, Guillaume and published by IWMI. This book was released on 2016-12-04 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By altering evapotranspiration and influencing how water is routed and stored in a basin, natural and agrarian ecosystems affect river flow. To quantify the impact of ecosystems on streamflow in two large river basins in Asia and Africa, simple statistical relationships were calculated, enabling flow characteristics to be ascertained from basic catchment features. This approach allows the impact of specified land-use change on streamflow to be determined. For example, it shows that extending paddy areas in the Mekong River Basin reduces downstream low flows, while conversion of forests to crops increases the magnitude of downstream floods in the Volta River Basin. The approach could assist river basin planners to better account for flow-related ecosystem services.
Download or read book The Water Food Energy Nexus in the Mekong Region written by Alexander Smajgl and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-05-18 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Brief provides a cross-sectional analysis of development-directed investments in the wider Mekong region. The wider Mekong region includes Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, and the Chinese province of Yunnan. Evidence highlights that a few critical dynamics, including human migration, natural resource flows, and financial investments, generate a high level of connectivity between these countries. Such high levels of connectivity increase complexity and the potential for ripple effects of national decisions. The emerging links between countries can unfold in financial investments, migration, or the flow of resources. As these links intensify the regional connectivity increases and over time a highly connected region can emerge, as experienced by the Mekong region. This Brief also contains a chapter at the end of the book featuring numerous charts and diagrams further illustrating the impact of development activities in the area.
Download or read book The Mekong written by Ian Charles Campbell and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2009-11-20 with total page 647 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Mekong is the most controversial river in Southeast Asia, and increasingly the focus of international attention. It flows through 6 counties, China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam. The 4 downstream countries have formed the Mekong River Commission to promote sustainable development of the river and many of their people depend on it for their subsistence ? it has possible the largest freshwater fishery in the world, and the Mekong waters support rice agriculture in the delta in Viet Nam (which produces about 40% of that country's food) as well as in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. China is now building the first large mainstream dam on the river, and has proposals for several more. These dams are likely to affect the downstream countries. Several of the downstream countries also have plans for large scale hydropower and irrigation development which could also impact the river. This book will provide a solid overview of the biophysical environment of the Mekong together with a discussion of the possible impacts, biophysical, economic and social, of some possible development scenarios. It is intended to provide a technical basis which can inform the growing political and conservation debate about the future of the Mekong River, and those who depend on it. It is aimed at river ecologists, geographers, environmentalists and development specialists both in the basin and (especially) outside for whom access to this material is most difficult. This book will be the first comprehensive treatment of the Mekong system. The first comprehensive overview of all aspects of the Mekong River system Deals with a regionally critical ecosystem and one under threat The Mekong supports the world's largest freshwater fishery and provides water underpinning a major regional rice paddy system Presents the authoritative findings of the Mekong River Commission's research for a wider audience for the first time outside of limited distribution reports
Download or read book The Mekong A Socio legal Approach to River Basin Development written by Ben Boer and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-12-22 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An international river basin is an ecological system, an economic thoroughfare, a geographical area, a font of life and livelihoods, a geopolitical network and, often, a cultural icon. It is also a socio-legal phenomenon. This book is the first detailed study of an international river basin from a socio-legal perspective. The Mekong River Basin, which sustains approximately 70 million people across Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, provides a prime example of the socio-legal complexities of governing a transboundary river and its tributaries. The book applies its socio-legal analysis to bring a fresh approach to understanding conflicts surrounding water governance in the Mekong River Basin. The authors describe the wide range of uses being made of legal doctrine and legal argument in ongoing disputes surrounding hydropower development in the Basin, putting to rest lingering caricatures of a single, ‘ASEAN’ way of navigating conflict. They call into question some of the common assumptions concerning the relationship between law and development. The book also sheds light on important questions concerning the global hybridization or crossover of public and private power and its ramifications for water governance. With current debates and looming conflicts over water governance globally, and over shared rivers in particular, these issues could not be more pressing.
Download or read book Water and Power written by Mart A. Stewart and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-12-12 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book brings together a talented international group of scholars, policy practitioners, and NGO professionals that explores a range of issues relating to environmental, developmental, and governing challenges on the Mekong, one of the world’s greatest rivers and, alas, one of the most endangered. The book is divided into three sections devoted in turn to historical perspectives on the Lower Mekong Basin. Issues relate to livelihood strategies, environmental threats, and adaptation strategies; and various aspects of river governance, with individual authors treating questions of governance at different levels of refraction and in different registers. The result is a fresh and innovative collection of essays, which, taken together, provide much-needed new perspectives on some of the most important and seemingly intractable environmental and development issues in contemporary Asia.
Download or read book The Mekong Delta System written by Fabrice G. Renaud and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-06-01 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book about the Mekong Delta presents a unique collection of state-of-the-art contributions by international experts from different scientific disciplines about the characteristics and pressing water-related challenges of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. The Mekong Delta belongs to one of the areas, which are to expect the largest challenges concerning environmental change and climate change induced sea level rise . The Delta acts as the “rice bowl” of Southeast Asia and is home to over 17 Million people, who need to cope with ecologic as well as socio-economic changes linked to the rapid economic development of the country. Annual floods, severe droughts, salt water intrusion, degrading water quality, tropical cyclones, hydrologic changes due to hydropower projects in the upstream of the Mekong, coastal erosion, and the loss of biodiversity are some of the problems in the region. Heterogeneous resource management responsibilities, and the fact that the Mekong – and thus also the Delta – is influenced by six countries aggravate the situation. Integrated water resources management and fostered cooperation and information exchange are pressing needs for the sustainable development of the Delta.
Download or read book Water Resources and Food Security in the Vietnam Mekong Delta written by Tuyet L. Cosslett and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-11-22 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Mekong River has been a main source of conquest, conflict, and cooperation in the Southeast Asian region. Much has been written on the vital and critical importance of the Mekong River fresh water to the sustainable economic development of the Mekong Delta. This book selects the Mekong Delta as a case study of regional cooperation for water and food security for not only for Vietnam but also for the world in a new century of global economy. It focuses not only on the Mekong Delta as an integral part of the River but also on Can Tho City and its 12 provinces that produce over 50 percent of the country’s rice output and 60 percent of total fishery output. The book takes a micro approach to examine how each province is adapting to the twin threats of mainstream dams construction and climate change, reducing fresh water flows and increasing saline infusions on its present and future economy. Finally, it reviews the roles of international institutional arrangements, namely the Mekong Committee and the Mekong River Commission, in promoting regional cooperation among the riparian states for political and economic development of the Mekong Delta.
Download or read book Mekong River written by and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report presents the GIWA assessment of the Mekong River region which comprises parts of Cambodia, China, Lao PDR (Laos), Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Rapid economic development and population growth are increasing the demand for water, energy and food, necessitating more hydro-dams, the intensification of agricultural and fisheries production, and higher rates of deforestation. The resultant transboundary environmental changes, particularly to the fluxes of water and sediments, are leading to severe habitat and community modification. The past and present status and future prospects of water-related problems in the Mekong River Basin are discussed and traced back to their root causes. Policy relevant conclusions are provided so that appropriate solutions can be developed to address the emerging challenges to the management of the region's aquatic environment.--Publisher's description.
Download or read book Following the Proper Channels written by Bennett L. Bearden and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2018-02-12 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Following the Proper Channels: Tributaries in the Mekong Legal Regime, Bennett Bearden offers in-depth policy and legal analyses of the marginalization of tributaries in the context of the 1995 Agreement on the Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin, law of international watercourses, hydrosovereignty, and the national economic development interests of the Mekong riparians. As a problem-based study, enlightening conclusions are made based on the increasingly state-centric nature of water resources management in the Mekong region through pursuit of national agendas in the unilateral and bilateral development of tributaries. The overarching legal and hydropolicy issue is whether states can simultaneously pursue hydrosovereignty on tributaries and ensure the Mekong legal regime’s efficacy to achieve holistic water resources management and basin-wide governance.
Download or read book Contested Waterscapes in the Mekong Region written by François Molle and published by Earthscan. This book was released on 2012 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The water resources of the Mekong river catchment area, from China, through Thailand, Cambodia and Laos to Vietnam, are increasingly contested. Governments, companies and banks are driving new investment in roads, dams, diversions, irrigation schemes, navigation facilities, power plants and other emblems of conventional "development." Their plans and interventions pose multiple burdens and risks to the livelihoods of millions of people dependent on wetlands, floodplains, fisheries and aquatic resources.
Download or read book An Illustrated Eco history of the Mekong River Basin written by Tomoya Akimichi and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An Illustrated Eco-history of the Mekong River Basin is a broad-ranging study of the interactions transforming people's livelihoods and their environment in this rapidly-developing yet ecologically-diverse region. Encompassing scientific material on climate, health and habitat through to social studies on the large number of ethnic groups, the new findings presented here from specialists in a plurality of disciplines reflect the drastic changes of recent times, concomitant with various impulses toward modernization, economic globalization, and sixty years of rapid population growth. Local relationships with the environment have been incessantly restructured and transformed amidst these political and economic upheavals, revealing unique linkages between certain determinants of change. Over sixty international researchers collaborated (specializing in agricultural science, natural resources, ecological science, human ecology, geography, history and anthropology) bringing vitality and depth to the treatment of these complex issues. The book vividly and succinctly reveals an array of interesting and serious issues in the Mekong River basin, and serves as an indispensable guide to the historical ecology of the region.
Download or read book Lower Mekong River Basin written by United States. Bureau of Reclamation and published by . This book was released on 1956 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Developing a hydrological model for the Mekong Basin Impacts of basin development on fisheries productivity written by G. W. Kite and published by IWMI. This book was released on 2000 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report describes the hydrological aspects of a CGIAR project to model the effects of water flows on aquatic resource production in the Mekong Basin. The project was carried out by the International Centre for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM, Penang, Malaysia) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI, Colombo, Sri Lanka) in cooperation with the Mekong River Commission (MRC, Phnom Penh, Cambodia) together with other institutes and national and regional agencies working in the riparian countries of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam. The project commenced in January 2000 and finished in December 2000. The land cover analysis for the Tonle Sap area was carried out, and the data on existing and proposed dams were collated, by Dilkushi De Alwis, IWMI, Colombo.
Download or read book Mekong River written by United Nations Environment Programme and published by UNEP. This book was released on 2006-10-20 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This publication is one of a series of strategic impact assessments carried out as part of the Global International Waters Assessment Project (GIWA-UNEP/GEF) to evaluate the worlds transboundary waters, in recognition of the links between freshwater and coastal marine environments and the effects of human activities. This report presents the GIWA assessment of the Mekong River region which comprises parts of Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Rapid economic development and population growth are increasing the demand for water, energy and food, necessitating more hydro-dams, the intensification of agricultural and fisheries production, and higher rates of deforestation. The resultant transboundary environmental changes, particularly to the fluxes of water and sediments, are leading to severe habitat and community modification. The past and present status and future prospects of water-related problems in the Mekong River Basin are discussed and traced back to their root causes. Policy relevant conclusions are provided so that appropriate solutions can be developed to address the emerging challenges to the management of the region's aquatic environment.
