Progress Report 2004

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Flood Management and Mitigation Programme

The Mekong River Commission's new core programme, the Flood Management and Mitigation Programme is now funded and ready to start operations.

Work on German-funded components four and five (Flood Emergency Management Strengthening and Land Management) began in September 2004.

A new Regional Flood Management and Mitigation Centre will be built in Phnom Penh, Cambodia which will carry out flood monitoring, forecasting and dissemination services. The programme will also undertake policy discussions on land use planning and infrastructure development in relation to flood impacts; flood proofing measures; mediation services; analysis of risk and impacts, and strengthening of capacity to manage flood emergencies.

The Flood Centre has estabished a temporary headquarters in the former MRC Secretariat building in Phnom Penh. This centre will act as a liaison office to relay regional and community flood forecasts made by the team in Vientiane to the flood-prone communities as well as to relay the community feedback to Vientiane.

In 2004 the FMMP made good progress with its activities.

• With continued assistance from the US Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance, the Cambodian Red Cross, the American Red Cross and Action Against Hunger, the FMMP expanded its flood early warning system from sixvillages to 34 more villages in five flood-prone provinces of Cambodia. The Provision of Flood Early Warning to Flood Vulnerable Communities in the Lower Mekong River Basin project will now be expanded to Lao PDR.
• The 10-month project on Capacity Building for Preparedness Planning and Response Using Flood Information and Data, run by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre and supported by the European Commission for Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), was completed in June 2004
• A Phase II proposal for 2005-2006 was submitted to ECHO for review.
• Two national training courses and one national seminar on the implementation of flood preparedness programmes at provincial and district levels were held during the year.
• Throughout the 2004 wet season the MRC Secretariat provided daily flood forecasts on its website - www.mrcmekong.org. Water levels were updated every 24 hours and rainfall figures were updated every 12 hours.
• The Third Annual Flood Forum took place in Vientiane, Lao PDR from 7-8 April 2005.