Changes in hydrology and sediment delivery of the Mekong River in the last 50 years: connection to damming,monsoon, and ENSO

As the population and economy boom, more and more dams are being built in the Mekong River basin. Previous studies have revealed that Manwan Dam had little influence on the runoff–SSC (suspended sediment concentration) relationship, and the sediment load was relatively stable over the past 40 years. However, little is known at present on the relationship among monsoons, El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), precipitation, runoff, and the impact of dams on the delta dynamics. A comprehensive hydropower GIS database covering the entire Mekong basin is presented in this study. Mann–Kendall trend analysis showed no significant change in precipitation and runoff over the past 50 years. Spectral analysis showed that the runoffs of the middle to lower reach of Mekong River are correlated with the Indian Monsoon, where as the East Asian Monsoon's influence is mainly on the lower reach. With another 200 new dams to be added to the basin in the next couple of decades, changes are expected in both hydrological regime and delta dynamics. On one hand, the runoff showed a closer connection with the regional precipitation and ENSO in the post‐dam period (1993–2005) than in the pre‐dam period (1950–1993). Such a relationship is expected to be even closer when more dams are completed. On the other hand, both daily maximum and minimum water levels on the delta plain have shown an abrupt drop since the end of 1994. This reduced water‐level gradient between the river and sea inevitably weakens the sediment discharge to the coast, which might intensify the ongoing coastal erosion on the eastern part of the delta plain. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

澜沧江—湄公河流域跨界含水层研究

跨界含水层由位于不同国家的含水层组成,是地下水资源系统的重要组成部分。妥善管理并公平合理地利用跨界含水层,对促进可持续发展及国家之间的睦邻友好关系有着重要意义。通过分析澜沧江—湄公河流域水文地质条件,划定流域的跨界含水层系统,并对地下水资源与环境问题进行探索,提出跨界含水层综合评价指标体系,结合澜沧江—湄公河流域4个跨界含水层相关的指标进行了综合评价。本次研究,对管理澜沧江—湄公河流域跨界含水层,建设和谐的东南亚国际环境有着重要意义。     

Bringing resilience-thinking into water governance: Two illustrative case studies from South Africa and Cambodia

Resilience is a multidimensional concept that is increasingly used to understand environmental change in hydrological systems. Yet, the current discussion about water governance and resilience remains relatively limited, with resilience typically seen as a normative outcome for governance (i.e., to be resilient against change). Using a theoretical multiplicity approach, we explore how the theories of social-ecological systems (SES), resilience and interactive (water) governance can provide new insights for water governance studies. We propose a resilience–governance framework that captures the partly overlapping but distinct characteristics from these three theories. The framework aims to develop a more nuanced way of using resilience-thinking for water governance, viewing resilience as a function of three capacities (absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacity) and noting the simultaneous existence of three interpretations for resilience (as a property, process and outcome) across different scales. The framework also considers issues of power and equity, which are often missing from resilience framings. We illustrate the framework with two case studies – the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia and a small sub-catchment of the Limpopo River Basin in South Africa – to provide two distinct examples of the possibilities of resilient governance. Finally, we consider what the framework suggests more broadly for ongoing discussions around resilience and water governance, including the possibilities for governance to also ‘bounce forward’ – i.e., transform – to a new, improved state. We argue that resilience-thinking may be valuable in understanding governance characteristics and guiding governance processes, in addition to seeing resilience (just) as a normative end-goal. In this way, the article supports an epistemological shift away from focusing on institutional structure, towards capturing the dynamic processes within governing systems.     

The Asian Development Bank and the production of poverty: Neoliberalism,technocratic modernization and land dispossession in the Greater Mekong Subregion

In 1992 the Asian Development Bank coordinated a meeting between government representatives from China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam to discuss regional economic integration. From that meeting the Greater Mekong Subregion was formed to promote peace and prosperity within the Mekong countries. Yet, despite more than more than USD 14 billion being spent on facilitating trade, development and infrastructural ties between these nations, poverty remains widespread. This article provides a critical analysis of the Asian Development Bank and its approach to development and poverty alleviation within the Greater Mekong Subregion. It suggests that the institution's technocratic neoliberal development ideology provides a discursive legitimation to processes of displacement and dispossession that has seen the production of new forms of poverty. To make this argument, the article draws on an ethnographic study of the local‐scale implications of forced resettlement at the Luang Prabang Airport. It conducts an analysis of how the Asian Development Bank defines and measures poverty, and critiques the institution's resettlement guidelines for the airport project.     

大湄公河次区域宏观地貌形态类型划分研究

本文基于ArcMap数据处理和分析平台,以90m分辨率的SRTM-4 DEM为数据源,对大湄公河次区域GMS的宏观地貌形态类型进行定性和定量分析。参考坡度分类标准和《1∶400万中国及其毗邻地区地貌图》地貌形态类型划分的海拔高度和地势起伏度标准,结合GMS东南亚5国和中国2省的特殊地貌形态,采用海拔高度和地势起伏度组合的阈值划分方法,生成包含7种地貌形态类型的分类图。结果显示:海拔1900m以下的地貌类型所占比例最大;GMS以山地地貌为主。     

Multivariate interpolation and information entropy for optimizing raingauge network in the Mekong River Basin

ABSTRACT

The applicability of multivariate interpolation and information entropy to optimize the raingauge network in the Mekong River Basin (MRB) is investigated. Three different spatial interpolation methods are tested: inverse distance squared (IDS), ordinary kriging (OK) and gradient plus inverse distance squared (GIDS). The validated results confirm that the GIDS method outperformed IDS and OK. The application of information entropy together with GIDS on a network of 57 gauges provided the same information content (7.34 nat) as could be obtained using all 6788 gauges in the MRB. Combining this result with meteorological and hydrological indicators revealed that the number of gauges for the optimum raingauge network could be reduced to 40. The results imply good applicability of the proposed method, which may be used to help prioritize efforts and funds to maintain the raingauge network in a given river basin.     

Climate change and groundwater resources in Myanmar

Myanmar is located in Southeast Asia within the Mekong River Basin. The estimated annual surface and groundwater potentials are 1 081 km3 and 494 km3, respectively. Based on geological conditions, 11 different types of aquifers have been classified in Myanmar. The recent alluvial formation, Irrawaddy formation, Upper Pegu Group and Plateau limestone formation are the major water-bearing geologic formations of the country. In Myanmar, 89% of the groundwater is used for agriculture, approximately 8% is used for domestic consumption, and 3% is used for industrial purposes. Climate change projections for Myanmar from 2001 to 2100 predict general increases in temperature, clear-sky days, rainfall variability and flooding risks and a greater occurrence and intensity of extreme weather events across the country. Additional technology and investments are required to achieve groundwater resource security in response to climate changes. In addition, methods of ensuring the sustainability of groundwater resources must be implemented via collaborations with other countries and international sources.     

Climate change and groundwater conditions in the Mekong Region–A review

Changes in the climatic system introduce uncertainties in the supply and management of water resources. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) predicts an increase of 2 to 4 °C over the next 100 years. Temperature increases will impact the hydrologic cycle by directly increasing the evaporation of surface water sources. Consequently, changes in precipitation will indirectly impact the flux and storage of water in surface and subsurface reservoirs(i.e., lakes, soil moisture, groundwater, etc.). In addition, increases in temperature contribute to increases in the sea level, which may lead to sea water intrusions, water quality deterioration, potable water shortages, etc. Climate change has direct impacts on the surface water and the control of storage in rivers, lakes and reservoirs, which indirectly controls the groundwater recharge process. The main and direct impact of climate change on groundwater is changes in the volume and distribution of groundwater recharge. The impact of climate change on groundwater resources requires reliable forecasting of changes in the major climatic variables and accurate estimations of groundwater recharge. A number of Global Climate Models(GCMs) are available for understanding climate and projecting climate change.These GCMs can be downscaled to a basin scale, and when they are coupled with relevant hydrological models, the output of these coupled models can be used to quantify the groundwater recharge, which will facilitate the adoption of appropriate adaptation strategies under the impact of climate change.     

Landscape structure and use,climate, and water movement in the Mekong River basin

In this article the relative roles of precipitation and soil moisture in influencing runoff variability in the Mekong River basin are addressed. The factors controlling runoff generation are analysed in a calibrated macro‐scale hydrologic model, and it is demonstrated that, in addition to rainfall, simulated soil moisture plays a decisive role in establishing the timing and amount of generated runoff. Soil moisture is a variable with a long memory for antecedent hydrologic fluxes that is influenced by soil hydrologic parameters, topography, and land cover type. The influence of land cover on soil moisture implies significant hydrologic consequences for large‐scale deforestation and expansion of agricultural land. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

大湄公河次地区构造单元划分

大湄公河次地区在地质构造上是西南三江构造带和华南加里东褶皱带的向南或南西的延伸。在理清了各构造单元的延伸趋势及其相互关系的基础上，对该区大地构造单元作了统一划分和对比。以印缅山脉结合带、澜沧江-文冬-劳勿结合带、金沙江-哀牢山-马江结合带作为主结合带，将该区划分为印澳板块、中缅马陆块、印支陆块和华南陆块4个一级单元。然后在亲冈瓦纳的中缅马陆块和亲华南型的印支陆块内再以次级结合带分别划分出4个二级构造单元：亲冈瓦纳型的西缅微陆块、腾冲-毛淡棉微陆块，保山-掸泰微陆块、临沧-景栋微陆块，亲华南型的景洪-帕府-东马来西亚微陆块、思茅-大叻微陆块、昆嵩微陆块和长山微陆块；华南陆块以越北斋江结合带为界分为扬子和华夏两微陆块。简要论述了各构造单元的基本地质特征，提出将可可西里-澜沧江-文冬-劳勿结合带作为南部冈瓦纳大陆和北部劳亚大陆的分界，指出昆嵩微陆块和长山微陆块是华夏微陆块的南西延伸，其西部的对应体可能是昌都微陆块。