2005 Progress Report
The Water Utilisation Programme
The Water Utilisation Programme (WUP) works to provide
the MRC, its member states and other MRC programmes with tools
to be used to improve water management for the economic and
social development of the Lower Mekong Basin in an environmentally
sustainable manner.
The WUP comprises four components:
- Development of computerised Basin Modelling and Knowledge
Base tools, known as the MRC's Decision Support Framework,
supporting basin planning and impact assessment activities
of the MRC
- Drafting of Procedures for Water Utilisation to elaborate
various provisions of the Mekong Agreement
- Environmental and Transboundary Impact Analysis activities
providing the technical support for the procedures on flow
maintenance and water quality
- Management and Institutional Strengthening
The WUP is implemented in close consultation and collaboration
with the member states through a well-defined and structured
series of informal and formal discussions and negotiations facilitated
by the MRCS.
The WUP is entering its final year of a programme initiated
in 2000. In 2005, WUP made strong progress on the legal and
technical content of procedures which will improve management
of flow and water quality throughout the Lower Mekong Basin.
Key achievements in 2005 included:
- Completion of the final text of the procedures regarding
maintenance of flows on the mainstream. These procedures require
member countries to cooperate on maintaining acceptable minimum
monthly flows in the dry season; an acceptable natural reverse
flow of the Tonle Sap during the wet season; and the prevention
of peak flows greater than what occur naturally. Technical
input to these procedures was provided through Integrated
Basin Flow Management (IBFM) activities executed jointly with
the Environment Programme (EP). During 2005 the first basin-wide
flow assessments were completed, based on evaluation of the
environmental, social and economic beneficial uses of water
under flow regimes representing a range of possible future
basin development activities.
- The drafting of the rules for water quality was initiated
and is nearly complete. Integrated Water Quality Management
(IWQM) activities, also executed jointly with the EP, provided
the technical support for these rules commencing with agreement
on initial water quality objectives, including criteria (indicators
and targets) for domestic consumption and human contact.
- All previously approved procedures and guidelines were
published and made available in the national languages of
member states.
- The set-up of new WUP-FIN modelling tools, funded by Finland,
to enable specific regional studies in each of the four member
countries. The models have already been used to complete a
study on the potential transboundary impacts of increased
development activities in the basin.
- Improvement of the performance and accuracy of the MRC
modelling and knowledge base tools and continuation of the
Associate Modeller Programme (funded by the Global Environment
Facility and implemented by the World Bank), which offers
on-the-job training to four National Mekong Committee trainees.
This training significantly boosts the capacity of modelling
work in the basin.
- Finalisation and publication of a comprehensive hydrological
report on the Lower Mekong Basin entitled: Overview of the
Hydrology of the Mekong Basin. This report is intended as
an introduction to the hydrology of the Mekong River, based
on analysis of the most up-to-date historical data, and it
provides basic insights into the flow regime of the river.
In 2006, the programme will successfully complete its present
scope of work, which will include finalising both the flow maintenance
and water quality procedures and related technical guidelines.
It will also coordinate the second phase of the WUP-FIN modelling
activities and provide post-contract support for the Decision
Support Framework knowledge base and modelling tools as well
as technical support to various MRC and NMC programmes.
Finally, the programme will undergo national and regional consultations
in order to prepare to move into a possible next phase.