Quantifying changes in flooding and habitats in the Tonle Sap Lake (Cambodia) caused by water infrastructure development and climate change in the Mekong Basin

2012 ◽  
Vol 112 ◽  
pp. 53-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauricio E. Arias ◽  
Thomas A. Cochrane ◽  
Thanapon Piman ◽  
Matti Kummu ◽  
Brian S. Caruso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Infrastructure ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Mekong Basin ◽  
Tonle Sap Lake ◽  
Tonle Sap

scholarly journals Historical impact of water infrastructure on water levels of the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap System

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 4403-4431 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Cochrane ◽  
M. E. Arias ◽  
T. Piman
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Mekong River ◽  
Water Level Fluctuations ◽  
Water Infrastructure ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Mekong Basin ◽  
Tonle Sap ◽  
Fall Rates

Abstract. The rapid rate of water infrastructure development in the Mekong basin is a cause for concern due to its potential impact on fisheries and downstream natural ecosystems. In this paper we analyse the historical water levels of the Mekong River and Tonle Sap system by comparing pre and post 1991 daily observations from six stations along the Mekong mainstream from Chiang Sean (northern Laos), to Stung Treng (Cambodia), and the Prek Kdam station on the Tonle Sap River. Observed alterations in water level patterns along the Mekong are linked to temporal and spatial trends in water infrastructure development from 1960 to 2010. We argue that variations in historical climatic factors are important, but they are not the main cause of observed changes in key hydrological indicators related to ecosystem productivity. Our analysis shows that the development of mainstream dams in the upper Mekong basin in the post-1991 period have resulted in a significant increase of 7 day minimum (+91.6%), fall rates (+42%), and the number of water level fluctuations (+75) observed in Chiang Sean. This effect diminishes downstream until it becomes negligible at Mukdahan (northeast Thailand), which represents a drainage area of over 50% of the total Mekong Basin. Further downstream at Pakse (southern Laos), alterations to the number of fluctuations and rise rate became strongly significant after 1991. The observed alterations slowly decrease downstream, but modified rise rates, fall rates, and dry season water levels were still quantifiable and significant as far as Prek Kdam. This paper provides the first set of evidence of hydrological alterations in the Mekong beyond the Chinese dam cascade in the upper Mekong. Given the evident alterations with no precedence at Pakse and downstream, post-1991 changes can also be directly attributed to water infrastructure development in the Chi and Mun basins of Thailand. A reduction of 23 and 11% in the water raising and fall rates respectively at Prek Kdam provides evidence of a diminished Tonle Sap flood pulse in the post-1991 period. Given the observed water level alterations from 1991 to 2010 as a result of water infrastructure development, we can extrapolate that future development in the mainstream and the key transboundary Srepok, Sesan and Sekong subbasins will have an even greater effect on the Tonle Sap flood regime, the lower Mekong floodplain, and the delta.

scholarly journals Historical impact of water infrastructure on water levels of the Mekong River and the Tonle Sap system

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 4529-4541 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Cochrane ◽  
M. E. Arias ◽  
T. Piman
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Mekong River ◽  
Water Level Fluctuations ◽  
Water Infrastructure ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Mekong Basin ◽  
Tonle Sap ◽  
Fall Rates

Abstract. The rapid rate of water infrastructure development in the Mekong Basin is a cause for concern due to its potential impact on fisheries and downstream natural ecosystems. In this paper, we analyze the historical water levels of the Mekong River and Tonle Sap system by comparing pre- and post-1991 daily observations from six stations along the Mekong mainstream from Chiang Saen (northern Thailand), to Stung Treng (Cambodia), and the Prek Kdam station on the Tonle Sap River. Observed alterations in water level patterns along the Mekong are linked to temporal and spatial trends in water infrastructure development from 1960 to 2010. We argue that variations in historical climatic factors are important, but they are not the main cause of observed changes in key hydrological indicators related to ecosystem productivity. Our analysis shows that the development of mainstream dams in the upper Mekong Basin in the post-1991 period may have resulted in a modest increase of 30-day minimum levels (+17%), but significant increases in fall rates (+42%) and the number of water level fluctuations (+75%) observed in Chiang Saen. This effect diminishes downstream until it becomes negligible at Mukdahan (northeast Thailand), which represents a drainage area of over 50% of the total Mekong Basin. Further downstream at Pakse (southern Laos), alterations to the number of fluctuations and rise rate became strongly significant after 1991. The observed alterations slowly decrease downstream, but modified rise rates, fall rates, and dry season water levels were still quantifiable and significant as far as Prek Kdam. This paper provides the first set of evidence of hydrological alterations in the Mekong beyond the Chinese dam cascade in the upper Mekong. Given the evident alterations at Pakse and downstream, post-1991 changes could also be directly attributed to water infrastructure development in the Chi and Mun basins of Thailand. A reduction of 23 and 11% in the water raising and falling rates respectively at Prek Kdam provides evidence of a diminished Tonle Sap flood pulse in the post-1991 period. Given the observed water level alterations from 1991 to 2010 as a result of water infrastructure development, we can extrapolate that future development in the mainstream and the key transboundary Srepok, Sesan, and Sekong sub-basins will have an even greater effect on the Tonle Sap flood regime, the lower Mekong floodplain, and the delta.

scholarly journals Assessing Climate Change Impacts on River Flows in the Tonle Sap Lake Basin, Cambodia

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 618 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chantha Oeurng ◽  
Thomas Cochrane ◽  
Sarit Chung ◽  
Mathias Kondolf ◽  
Thanapon Piman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystem ◽  
Lake Basin ◽  
River Flows ◽  
Water Flows ◽  
Tonle Sap Lake ◽  
Tonle Sap

The Tonle Sap is the most fertile and diverse freshwater ecosystem in Southeast Asia, receiving nurturing water flows from the Mekong and its immediate basin. In addition to rapid development in the Tonle Sap basin, climate change may threaten natural flow patterns that sustain its diversity. The impacts of climate change on river flows in 11 sub-basins contributing to the Tonle Sap Lake were assessed using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to quantify the potential magnitude of future hydrological alterations. Projected river flows from three General Circulation Models (GFDL-CM3, GISS-E2-R-CC and IPSL-CM5A-MR) for three time horizons (2030s, 2060s and 2090s) indicate a likely decrease in both the wet and dry season flows. The mean annual projected flow reductions range from 9 to 29%, 10 to 35% and 7 to 41% for the 2030s, 2060s and 2090s projections, respectively. Moreover, a decrease in extreme river flows (Q5 and Q95) was also found, which implies there could be a decline in flood magnitudes and an increase in drought occurrences throughout the basin. The results of this study provide insight for water resources planning and adaptation strategies for the river ecosystems during the dry season, when water flows are projected to decrease.

scholarly journals A Review of the Integrated Effects of Changing Climate, Land Use, and Dams on Mekong River Hydrology

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yadu Pokhrel ◽  
Mateo Burbano ◽  
Jacob Roush ◽  
Hyunwoo Kang ◽  
Venkataramana Sridhar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Flood Pulse ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Mekong River ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Tonle Sap ◽  
River Hydrology

The ongoing and proposed construction of large-scale hydropower dams in the Mekong river basin is a subject of intense debate and growing international concern due to the unprecedented and potentially irreversible impacts these dams are likely to have on the hydrological, agricultural, and ecological systems across the basin. Studies have shown that some of the dams built in the tributaries and the main stem of the upper Mekong have already caused basin-wide impacts by altering the magnitude and seasonality of flows, blocking sediment transport, affecting fisheries and livelihoods of downstream inhabitants, and changing the flood pulse to the Tonle Sap Lake. There are hundreds of additional dams planned for the near future that would result in further changes, potentially causing permanent damage to the highly productive agricultural systems and fisheries, as well as the riverine and floodplain ecosystems. Several studies have examined the potential impacts of existing and planned dams but the integrated effects of the dams when combined with the adverse hydrologic consequences of climate change remain largely unknown. Here, we provide a detailed review of the existing literature on the changes in climate, land use, and dam construction and the resulting impacts on hydrological, agricultural, and ecological systems across the Mekong. The review provides a basis to better understand the effects of climate change and accelerating human water management activities on the coupled hydrological-agricultural-ecological systems, and identifies existing challenges to study the region’s Water, Energy, and Food (WEF) nexus with emphasis on the influence of future dams and projected climate change. In the last section, we synthesize the results and highlight the urgent need to develop integrated models to holistically study the coupled natural-human systems across the basin that account for the impacts of climate change and water infrastructure development. This review provides a framework for future research in the Mekong, including studies that integrate hydrological, agricultural, and ecological modeling systems.

scholarly journals How Local People Use Their Indigenous Knowledge to Respond to Floods and Droughts: A Case Study of Tonle Sap Lake Community, Cambodia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sopheak Seng
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Local Livelihoods ◽  
Lake Region ◽  
Tonle Sap Lake ◽  
Tonle Sap ◽  
Floods And Droughts

<p>This thesis investigates the impacts of floods and droughts in the Tonle Sap Lake region and examines to what extent the local communities’ indigenous knowledge (IK) is used to deal with floods and droughts. The thesis begins by exploring the Tonle Sap Lake communities’ perceptions of climate change, especially floods and droughts and their impacts on local livelihoods. It then examines how the communities have used their IK to develop livelihood adaptation methods to cope with floods and droughts. To conduct this study, a qualitative methodology was adopted using semi-structured interviews, and non-participant and unstructured observation as the main methods. The semi-structured interviews were conducted with local people and local authorities from two communities, and NGO staff.   The study found that the intensity of floods and droughts in the Tonle Sap Lake region has increased in the last few years. Floods and droughts have threatened local livelihoods and food security. To mitigate the effects of floods and droughts, the local communities in this region have developed various livelihood adaptation strategies to adapt to the hazards. The communities appeared to use both IK and technologies for their adaptation strategies. IK is seen as an invaluable local community asset in developing livelihood adaptation methods.   Although a mixture of IK and new knowledge has been used to develop various adaptation strategies, the sufficiency of the adaptation is still limited. The current severity of climate change is seen to limit the local communities’ response capacities. To strengthen the communities’ adaptation capacity, contribution and involvement from non-governmental organisations and the government in developing climate change adaptation policy at a local level are essential.</p>

Integrated water resources management on the Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 51-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Varis ◽  
M. Kummu ◽  
M. Keskinen ◽  
J. Sarkkula ◽  
J. Koponen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Resources Management ◽  
Great Lake ◽  
Integrated Water Resources Management ◽  
Theoretical Concept ◽  
General Development ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
Mekong Basin ◽  
Tonle Sap Lake ◽  
Tonle Sap

Integrated Water Resources Management has been identified as one of the basic water resources related policy approaches in several recent important commitments and recommendations including the Johannesburg Summit and World Water Forums. Recognizing that IWRM is largely still a theoretical concept with not much sound scientific research, our objective is to investigate how the IWRM process in the Mekong Basin is institutionalised, and implemented in practice. We focus on the Cambodia's Great Lake, the Tonle Sap. Of particular interest are the bottlenecks of IWRM, both those that are within the water sector and those that relate to various, more general development tendencies.

Water, livelihoods and climate change adaptation in the Tonle Sap Lake area, Cambodia: learning from the past to understand the future

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Nuorteva ◽  
Marko Keskinen ◽  
Olli Varis
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Adaptive Capacity ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Flood Pulse ◽  
Lake Area ◽  
Tonle Sap Lake ◽  
Tonle Sap

The changing environment is expected to intensify the challenges that people in developing countries are facing, particularly among the groups whose livelihoods depend on natural resources. The adaptive capacity of livelihoods largely defines the extent to which people can cope with future environmental changes, whether caused by climate change or other factors such as land use changes and water resources development. This article analyses the resilience and adaptive capacity of rural livelihoods around Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake, an exceptional lake-floodplain system dominated by flood pulse. The research findings demonstrate that despite the people's tradition of adapting to the remarkable seasonal variation of water and related resources, their capacity to adapt to unusual environmental changes is weak, with the poorest being clearly the most vulnerable group. Reasons for the weak resilience include villages' relatively homogenous livelihood structures, unjust governance practices, increasing inequality and the lack of opportunities for livelihood diversification. It is concluded that while climate change is likely to pose a remarkable challenge to people's livelihoods in the longer term, climate change adaptation activities should also take into account other environmental changes. Equally critical is the understanding of the broader socio-political context and its dynamics in increasing—and decreasing—livelihood resilience.

scholarly journals How Local People Use Their Indigenous Knowledge to Respond to Floods and Droughts: A Case Study of Tonle Sap Lake Community, Cambodia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Sopheak Seng
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Local Livelihoods ◽  
Lake Region ◽  
Tonle Sap Lake ◽  
Tonle Sap ◽  
Floods And Droughts

<p>This thesis investigates the impacts of floods and droughts in the Tonle Sap Lake region and examines to what extent the local communities’ indigenous knowledge (IK) is used to deal with floods and droughts. The thesis begins by exploring the Tonle Sap Lake communities’ perceptions of climate change, especially floods and droughts and their impacts on local livelihoods. It then examines how the communities have used their IK to develop livelihood adaptation methods to cope with floods and droughts. To conduct this study, a qualitative methodology was adopted using semi-structured interviews, and non-participant and unstructured observation as the main methods. The semi-structured interviews were conducted with local people and local authorities from two communities, and NGO staff.   The study found that the intensity of floods and droughts in the Tonle Sap Lake region has increased in the last few years. Floods and droughts have threatened local livelihoods and food security. To mitigate the effects of floods and droughts, the local communities in this region have developed various livelihood adaptation strategies to adapt to the hazards. The communities appeared to use both IK and technologies for their adaptation strategies. IK is seen as an invaluable local community asset in developing livelihood adaptation methods.   Although a mixture of IK and new knowledge has been used to develop various adaptation strategies, the sufficiency of the adaptation is still limited. The current severity of climate change is seen to limit the local communities’ response capacities. To strengthen the communities’ adaptation capacity, contribution and involvement from non-governmental organisations and the government in developing climate change adaptation policy at a local level are essential.</p>

PENGARUH PEMBANGUNAN INFRASTRUKTUR TERHADAP PDRB DI PROVINSI INDONESIA

Wahana ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-27
Author(s):  
Suripto Suripto ◽  
Eva Dwi Lestari
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Panel Data ◽  
Infrastructure Investment ◽  
Water Infrastructure ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Road Infrastructure ◽  
Health Infrastructure ◽  
Spatial Coverage ◽  
The Government

Economic growth is one indicator to measure  the success of economic development in a country. Economic development is closely related to infrastructure. Infrastructure development will have an impact on economic growth both directly and indirectly. Therefore, the role of the government in determining infrastructure development policies is very important to increase economic growth in Indonesia. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of infrastructure on economic growth in Indonesia including road infrastructure, electricity infrastructure, investment, water infrastructure, education infrastructure and health infrastructure in Indonesia in 2015-2017.The analytical tool used in this study is panel data regression with the approach of Fixed Effect Model. The spatial coverage of this study is all provinces in Indonesia, namely 34 provinces, with a series of data from 2015 to 2017 with a total of 102 observations. The data used is secondary data obtained from BPS Indonesia.The results of the study show that (1) the road infrastructure variables have a negative and not significant effect on GDRP. (2) electrical infrastructure variables have a negative and not significant effect on GDRP. (3) investment variables have a positive and significant effect on GDRP. (4) water infrastructure variables have a positive and not significant effect on GDRP. (5) educational infrastructure variables have a positive and not significant effect on GDRP. (6) health infrastructure variables have a positive and significant effect on GDRP. Keywords: development, infrastructure, investment, GDRP, panel data

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