Trans-boundary Issues
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The document discusses the complexity of managing trans-boundary river basins, specifically focusing on the Mekong River and its surrounding countries. It highlights the impacts of sedimentation, water quality deterioration, and the various human activities that contribute to these issues. Additionally, it outlines the importance of environmental flows for sustaining ecosystems and the need for comprehensive assessment methods to manage these resources effectively.
Trans-boundary Issues
- 1. Assoc. Prof. Wanpen Wirojanagud, Ph.D. Research Center for Environmental and Hazardous Substance Management Fac ulty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University Trans-Boundary Issue
- 2. River Basin § A river basin is the land that water flows across or under on its way to a river. Just as a bathtub catches all of the water that falls within its sides, a river basin sends all of the water falling within it to a central river and out to an estuary or to the ocean. § Everyone lives in a river basin. § It is part of an ecological address.
- 3. Relationship of Ecosystem Services and Human Well Being Ecosystem Ecosystem services Human Well Being Biodiversity Natural Resources and Environment
- 4. About the Mekong River the International river Flows southward Upper Mekong Basin Parts of China and Myanmar Lower Mekong basin Lao PDR Thailand Cambodia Vietnam South China Sea 4,800 km distance 795,000 km2 drainage area Annual runoff of 475,000 MCM.
- 5. About the Mekong River § The Mekong River ~ Complexity of managing trans-‐boundary rivers ~ Use of water and related resources in one country can have negative effects in the other countries. Trans-boundary issue ? Trans-boundary impact?
- 6. National Report on Water Quality from a trans-‐ boundary perspective, the national Mekong Committee, May 2003). Trans-boundary Issue/Impact “an undertaking, intervention or process is trans-boundary if its impact is felt on the other side of a boarder. It thus comprises of an undertaking, intervention or natural process at one place and impact at another location Such impact may be permanent, seasonal or even shorter duration”
- 7. Trans-boundary issue § Trans-‐boundary issues -‐Identified by investigation and/or research § Potential trans-‐boundary issues -‐ Used instead of Trans-‐boundary issue -‐ Could be assessed by monitoring data on water quantity (flow) and quality
- 8. Trans-boundary issue § Trans-‐boundary issues -‐Identified by investigation and/or research § Potential trans-‐boundary issues -‐ Used instead of Trans-‐boundary issue -‐ Sedimentation, water quality deterioration, water quantity alteration
- 9. Trans-boundary issue What are the potential transboundary issue and impact?
- 10. Sedimentation Cauase - Upland cultivation - Deforestation - Development project along the Mekong river and its tributaries - Natural erosion in the Upper Mekong Basin - Bank erosion High sediment volume impacts on - Aquatic ecosystem - Unbalance of wetland ecosystem - shallowing of rivers waterways, and wetland - Wetland deterioration causes decrement of fish population - decrement of fish population affect to riparian people Impact
- 11. Cauase - Development project along the Mekong river - Commercialization/ Industrial and urbanization upstream * Discharging wastewater/solid waste into the river directly - Agriculture and fishery along the Mekong river and its tributaries * Run off contaminated with pesticide/herbicide, and chemical/organic fertilizer - Oil spill - Depletion of fishery resource - Deterioration of aquatic ecosystem - Fish stock declining - Public health and quality of life - Higher cost for water treatment Impact Water Quality Deterioration
- 12. Ø Are such parameters trans-‐boundary issue and impacts??? *** Require investigation and assessment Remark? Ø How to minimize the trans-‐boundary impacts??? ***Technical, social and regulation measures
- 13. EMPs and Project Management PROJECT CYCLE EMP (2) Pre-feasibility Construction EIAApproval ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT CYCLE HP Siting
- 14. Environment – EIA EIA -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ mitigation + monitoring EMPs Environmental flow -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐Mitigation Environmental flow Feasibility study Engineering +Economic+ Environment
- 15. Multiple Use Advanta ges Considerations Multiple Use and Environmental Flows Challenges E-flows
- 16. What are the purposes of dams?
- 18. Advantages Multiple bene1its from a single investment. More attractive to international 1inancial assistance Fit well into regional development programmes Complement strategies for climate change adaptation
- 19. CHALLENGES Climate change impacts Regulatory demands Attracting private investors
- 20. Environmental flows Variety of terminology IFR – in-‐stream flow requirement Environmental Water Requirements Ecological Reserve Ecological Flows
- 21. What is Environmental flows Environmental flows describe the quantity, timing and quality of water flows required to sustain freshwater ecosystems and the human livelihoods and well-‐being that depend on these ecosystems Brisbane Declaration, 2007, 10th International River Symposium and Environmental Flows Conference
- 22. What is Environmental flows An environmental flow is not the amount of water needed to maintain an ecosystem in close-‐to-‐pristine condition . Flow is allocated to its following a process of environmental, social and economic assessment. It will be the flow that maintains ecosystem or river less than pristine condition, but acceptable to the decision making process. This is a societal judgment that will vary from country to country and region to region.
- 23. New: how to design to meet multiple interests? Existing: how to improve operations to maximise benefits and avoid problems for some stakeholders?
- 24. E-‐flow E-‐ Flow Maintain ecosystem services Requires rigorous assessments and baseline data O7en trade-‐offs between social, economic and environmental values have to be nego=ated Alloca=ng water for the environment Need for water and energy planning objec=ves to be integrated E-Flow
- 25. E-‐Flow assessment method Method Advantages Disadvantages Hydrological Index (½ month) • Low cost, rapid to use Look-‐up tables, Desktop analysis • Not site specific, ecological links assumed Hydraulic rating (2-‐4 months) • Low cost, site specific: Wetted perimeter • Ecological links assumed Habitat simulation (6-‐18 months) • Ecological links included : in-‐stream incremental methodology, PHABSIM – physical habitat simulation • Extensive data collection and use of experts, high cost Holistic (12-‐36 months) • Covers most aspects (Building Block Method, Downstream Response to Imposed Flow Trans-‐ formation, Expert panels) • Requires very large scientific expertise, very high cost
- 26. Considerations for multiple use and E- flows Different scales and perspectives: Project – project level impacts Basin – whole of basin, sub-basin, plan view with or without relief Instream/cross-sectional – different types of hydropower release regimes cause different effects Longitudinal – cascade developments, long-distance, short-distance Temporal – years, months, days/hours, event-based Decision making procedure, finance and budgeting
- 27. Environmental flows Corporate strategy ú Which rivers? ú Priorities? Environmental flow development ú Generation/ operation ú Trading ú Ecological ú Stakeholder ú Recreational ú Commercial ú Water supply
- 28. Thank you for your attention !