I. Aim
The main objectives if the AMFF-5 are:
- To raise the awareness of the current state of data collection,
transmission and exchange (especially, water level and rainfall)
at the national and regional levels in the Mekong River
Basin;
- To exchange information on the database systems and tools
used for dissemination of the flood forecasting and early
warning products that are produced by the MRC-Regional Flood
Management and Mitigation Centre and the National Centres
of the MRC member states;
- To provide an opportunity for participants to discuss
emerging needs related to flood forecasting and floods within
the basin and to share the progress each country has made
towards a holistic and balanced flood management plan.
II. Names of participating countries:
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1. Australia
2. Cambodia
3. China
4. France
5. Germany
6. India
7. Japan
8. Lao PDR |
9. Malaysia
10. Myanmar
11. Philippines
12. Singapore
13. Thailand
14. The Netherlands
15. United Kingdom
16. USA
17. Vietnam |
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III. Numbers of participants: 132
IV. Topics
Topic I: Meteorology and Weather Forecast with Respect to Short
and Medium Term Flood Forecasting and Warning
Topic II: Short and Medium Term Flood and Water Level Forecasting
Topic III: Data and Information Requirements for Effective Early
Warning and Flood Preparedness Measures
Topic IV: Data and Information Requirements for Emergency Management,
Relief and Reconstruction
V. Summary
132 participants - including those from the Mekong River Commission
(MRC) member countries of Cambodia, Lao DPR, Thailand and Viet
Nam and their National Mekong Committees and line agencies,
Dialogue Partners China and Myanmar, regional and international
scientists and experts, and representatives of international
and national civil society organizations and local communities
- attended the 5th Annual Mekong Flood Forum on “Improving
Inputs Towards Medium-term Flood Forecasting and Warning in
the Mekong Basin”. They were involved in two days of interesting
presentations, discussions and exchanges of information on the
theme and topics of the Forum. Based on this, the following
statements were supported by the participants at the concluding
session of the Forum.
- The increasing population, the value of private and public
property, impacts of climate change and the on-going changes
in land use bring with them the potential to make the flood
prone areas within the Mekong River Basin (MRB) increasingly
vulnerable to flood damage. Therefore there is an urgent need
to improve the quality and timely exchange of flood information
most importantly to save human life, but also to protect property,
agricultural land and livestock in the MRB.
- The MRC member countries and dialogue partners have established
or are establishing a range of actions to enable them to cope
with these changes. However, interstate collection and exchange
of information with respect to flood forecasting - both at
short (1 - 5 days) and medium term (6 - 10 days) scale - as
provided by the Regional Flood Mitigation and Management Centre
(MRC-RFMMC) of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) are of great
value. It will support the countries in preparing their own
flood forecasting and early warning messages, taking of flood
preparedness measures and emergency management, relief and
reconstruction. This may substantially contribute to reduction
of casualties and damages.
- In order to take care of up to date provision of information
state of the art data, tools, and information will be required.
Crucial elements with respect to the development of such an
integrated approach are on the one hand optimal quality and
on the other hand optimal flexibility of the tools to be applied.
This will require strong cooperation of the MRC member countries,
the dialogue partners and the MRC-RFMMC.
- Data and information requirements necessary for reliable
short to medium term flood forecasting include those concerning
meteorology and weather forecasting, water level forecasting,
information on the topography and land use in the flood prone
areas. Such data and information would have to be easily and
clearly accessible for those who have to decide on measures
to be taken. In this respect exchange of data, information
and experiences is extremely important and needs to be continued
and further promoted.
- Flood forecasting systems are composed of a set of interlinked
tools and activities. The MRC-RFMMC is modernising its tools
aimed at improving its flood forecasts. In light of this it
has recently decided to work with the hydrological database
HYMOS and the hydrological flood routing model URBS. This
approach enables automatic exchange of data and immediate
generation of information for accurate flood forecasting at
short and medium term for the mainstream of the Mekong River.
In addition it allows better exchange of information between
the MRC member countries, dialogue partners and the MRC-RFMMC.
It will also enable them to improve their own flood forecasting
and early warning systems. In order to achieve this the coming
months will have to be used to make this approach fully operational.
It is expected that this can be reported in the 6th Annual
Mekong Flood Forum (AMFF-6).
- There has been a range of recommendations for the themes
of AMFF-6. With respect to this it is of importance that the
broader goal of the Annual Mekong Flood Forums is that the
MRC Member States will use them as a mechanism to exchange
experiences and improve their own flood policies, strategies,
plans and projects. Based on the status of the development
of the flood forecasting systems, the broader goal, the on-going
concerns with respect to floods and flooding in the MRB, the
following themes are recommended for the AMFF-6:
- Main theme: Integrated approaches and applicable models towards flood forecasting and early warning in the Mekong River Basin
- Sub-themes:
* new developments with respect to flood
forecasting;
* requirements for flood forecasting
and early warning systems under mixed land use in
flood prone areas;
* costs and benefits of flood forecasting
and early warning in flood prone areas.
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