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Drought Conditions Cause Low Mekong Water Flow

Vientiane, Lao PDR; 26 February 2010

The current water level on the mainstream Mekong River is significantly below average in Northern Lao PDR and Thailand. Levels at mainstream measuring stations at Chiang Saen, Chiang Khan, Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Nong Khai are below those that occurred in the low flow season of 1993, which followed the most extreme regional drought on record in 1992.

Such low water levels on the mainstream Mekong are the result of drought conditions in Northern Thailand and Lao PDR and are part of a wider regional drought being experienced upstream in Yunnan Province in China. The 2009 flood season was drier than normal with wet season river levels in Vientiane for example being among the 5th lowest levels on record in the last 98 years.

Starting from that low base, analysis of the rainfall at selected hydrological stations in Yunnan, Chiang Saen and Luang Prabang has shown a consistent pattern of monthly precipitation significantly below average amounts since September 2009.

The implications of these low water levels are serious for the people of Northern Lao PDR and Thailand. Severe drought will have an impact on agriculture, food security, access to clean water and river transport and will affect the economic development of people already facing serious poverty. The northern provinces are amongst the poorest areas for both Lao PDR and Thailand.

River tour operators have stopped offering services on the stretch of river between Houiesay and Luang Prabang in Laos and it has been reported that Yunan provincial authorities have halted the operation of Chinese cargo boats which will affect regional trade. The National Centre for Environmental Health and Water Supply in Lao PDR has started advising people to counter the effects of drought by reducing water consumption.

The MRC is undertaking more detailed assessments of the low flow conditions and is working with its Member Countries to closely monitor the drought situation as well as integrating drought management considerations into its climate change adaptation initiative. See more information on Mekong River water mornitoring.

Source: MRC

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Destination: A Better Life

By Nadine Koszler

The Greater Mekong Sub-region is a destination attracting an increasing number of tourists every year and is leading the way in community based ecotourism programmes. A NZAID programme-supporting tourism initiatives in the region is helping draw in visitors and alleviate poverty.

Filled with history and rich in culture, the Greater Mekong Sub-region is characterised by immense natural beauty, with conservation areas, mystical temples, ancient monuments and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites dotted throughout the region. Not surprisingly, the interest from domestic and international travellers has been significant, and the region is recognised as the fastest growing tourism destination in the world.

Helping to define this emerging tourist hotspot is the emphasis on 'pro-poor' or community based tourism – responsible tourism that both protects and maintains resources, and directly benefits local communities, going a long way to assist the alleviation of poverty. In an age when ethical tourism experiences are more popular than ever, the Greater Mekong Sub-region is positioning itself as a leading, pro-poor, ecotourism destination.

The Greater Mekong Sub-region is not strictly a geographical region but rather a grouping coming from a development scheme advanced by the Asian Development Bank in 1992, which brought together states along the riparian beds of the Mekong River basin to improve economic co-operation. Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR), Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam, and the Yunnan Province of China are all inter-connected by the majestic Mekong River.

Pro-poor or community based tourism is not simply about tourist numbers or the flow of foreign dollars in to the economy, but about direct benefits for poor people and local communities. It generates greater rewards for local people including employment opportunities and subsequent income. It proactively minimises negative environmental and social impacts, and makes efforts to conserve natural and cultural heritage. Fundamental to pro-poor and community based tourism is that it involves local people in decisions that affect their lives and sees them working in co-operation with government, local authorities, and tourism businesses.

To read the rest of this article please click here.

Source: NZAID

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Elephant Protection Extended at Nam Theun 2

(KPL) March 24, 2010

The Nakai Elephant Programme was set up in 2004 by the NTPC, with support of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The programme has been refined over the last five years in conjunction with local authorities in Nakai district, Khammouane province. On Friday March 19, WCS officially handed over the running of the programme to the NTPC, which at the same time announced that the government would implement the programme's two main initiatives. Activities to prevent human-elephant conflict around the National Protected Area will be conducted by the Nakai District Agriculture and Forestry Office. Monitoring and maintenance of the artificial mineral licks - already installed in the protected area by the programme - will come under the jurisdiction of the Watershed Management and Protection Authority, a government agency which has the NTPC funding until 2031.

According to a press release of the Nam Theun 2, the mineral licks were designed to replace natural salt sources that are now covered by the Nakai Reservoir, which provides water for the Nam Theun 2 Power Station. Elephants need to consume salt regularly to complement their herbivorous diet. Human-elephant conflict is recognised as a problem in all countries with wild elephants.

As growing human populations expand into natural habitat, animals sometimes raid fields to eat fruit and vegetable crops, causing loss and damage to farmers' property. Under the NEP, villagers learn about the behaviour of elephants and can call a rapid response team from the district office whenever elephants approach their fields. The team then rushes to the site of any field incursions and scares the elephants away with noise devices. According to Stephen Duthy of the NTPC Environmental Management Office, the elephant population in Nakai and Gnommalath districts accounts for around 20% of all wild elephants in Laos, and is bigger than the entire wild elephant population in Cambodia, in China, and in Vietnam.

WCS Lao Country Director, Ms Arlyne Johnson said the NEP was unique, and that other elephant conservation projects both in and outside Laos would learn from the project. Nakai is the first district in Laos to monitor human-elephant conflicts over a long period and to devise a crop protection system.

The artificial mineral licks are also new to Laos and are among the first in Asia. Mr Liengkham Phang-outhai, Deputy Governor of Nakai, called on villagers to continue to work with government experts to guard fields and to monitor elephant movements and use of mineral licks.

He said the animals represent a special asset, and that the people of both Gnommalath and Nakai need to work to protect this natural treasure.

Source: KPL