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The Mekong River - survival for millions. Lake Tonle Sap. Mekong Delta Wetland. Mekong Delta. Expected Effects of Climate Change in Mekong Basin. Precipitation & River Flow : Precipitation and runoff increase of 13.5 % predominantly from wet season increases
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The Mekong River - survival for millions Lake Tonle Sap Mekong Delta Wetland Mekong Delta
Expected Effects of Climate Change in Mekong Basin Precipitation & River Flow: • Precipitation and runoff increase of 13.5 % predominantly from wet season increases • Increase in dry season precipitation in northern catchments and decrease in southern catchments. • Increase in Mekong River flow in both wet and dry seasons • Wet season increase = 15% above PP • Dry season increase =30% in upper portions • Increase in total annual runoff of 21% + increase in flooding
Greater Mekong/ Lancang
Area Inundated in the Mekong Delta (Sea Level Rise = 1m)(Source: MRC Technical Paper No. 24, September 2009) Area inundated at various levels of sea level rise in Vietnam Source: Dasgupta, et. al, 2007)
Maintaining the Flows that Nourish • Water • Sediment • Nutrients • Information
Objective • Counteract the effects of climate change • Maintain water and sediment flows to preserve ecosystem health and food production • At any level or pace of development To inform decisions on siting, design and operation of dams to:
Sediment Capture will have High Impact • On the most biologically productive features of the river system • Floodplains—84,000 km2 • Wetlands –e.g. Tonle Sap • Deep pools—400 mapped • Delta—most endangered • Near shore ocean—nutrient dependent • On the economic value of reservoir depends on maintaining storage capacity
Project Premise • At any level of development, there are better and worse choices in • Siting • Design • Operation • To move sediment through dams and reduce impacts on food/ecosystem productivity