2005 Progress Report
Navigation Programme
The Navigation Programme (NAP) aims at promoting freedom of
navigation and increasing the international trade opportunities
for the MRC member countries' mutual benefit. It also assists
in coordination and cooperation in developing effective and
safe waterborne transport in a sustainable and protective manner
for the waterway environment.
The programme has five components:
- Socio-economic Analysis and Regional Transport Planning
- Legal Framework for Cross Border Navigation
- Traffic Safety and Environmental Sustainability
- Information Promotion and Coordination
- Insitutional Development
The NAP implemented a preparatory phase in the past year and
continued to establish the navigation working group. The programme
has since achieved a number of key preliminary objectives in
2005, laying the foundation for its coming work.
- Following preparation of a detailed design for installing
navigation aids between Phnom Penh and the Cambodia-Viet Nam
border, work on the preparatory phases of the project began
in September 2005. This 154km stretch of the Mekong is crucial
for the improvement of maritime shipping between the two countries
and their overseas partners. The project will increase safety,
enable night navigation and increase international trade.
- Recommendations for cooperation between China/Myanmar and
MRC on Mekong Navigation Development have been formulated,
based on the Chinese navigation strategy and MRC policy on
improving waterborne transport on the Mekong River System.
The proposal involves activities on navigation, research and
training.
- The Navigation Programme produced an Integrated Water Resources
Management and Development Strategy. The document was prepared
by NAP to guide the BDP team on how to integrate waterborne
transportation as a sector into its Strategic Directions for
Integrated Water Resources Management in the Lower Mekong
Basin.
In late 2005 the the Navigation Programme received funding
support from the Belgian Government, so 2006 will be the first
year for large-scale implementation of the programme.
The Navigation Programme has selected five outputs covering
activities related to navigation safety and efficiency, a legal
framework for cross border transport (trade facilitation), and
environmental sustainability on which to use this funding.
The five outputs which come under the umbrella of components
2,3,4 and 5, are:
- Installation of the aids to navigation on the Mekong River
between Phnom Penh Port and the Cambodia-Viet Nam border.
This will include a hydrographic survey, detailed design of
the aids to navigation, international tendering for international
companies to supply the material, a fully operational aids
to navigation system and training of national counterparts.
- An updated and harmonised legal regime to guarantee freedom
of navigation, consisting of legal and operational navigation
agreements.
- Risk Analysis and Contingency Plans.
- Coordination, Institutional Building and Training. MRC
will continue to develop its relationship with China and Myanmar
and hopes to work more closely with its upstream neighbours
on increased cooperation on Mekong navigation issues.
- Pilot projects on morphology and bank erosion in Lao PDR,
Thailand and Viet Nam and on hydrodynamic and morphological
impact of dredging the Tonle Sap.