TRANSBOUNDARY WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE MEKONG BASIN

TRANSBOUNDARY WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE MEKONG BASINA STORY IN THREE PARTSJRP Training – 7 June 2012

For Sustainable Development • Mekong IWRM Project

PART I : WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE DOING TO OUR PLANET?

PART II : WHAT ON EARTH CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

PART III : WHAT IS THE MEKONG REGION AND MRC DOING ABOUT IT?


PART IWHAT ON EARTH ARE WE DOING TO OUR PLANET?


ARE WE RUNNING OUT OF WATER?

Over 9 billion people will inhabit this planet by 2050More than 700 million people in 43 countries live below the water stress threshold of 1,700 m3/person/year.By 2025 that figure will reach 3 billion people…..


WWW.WATERFOOTPRINT.ORG

What is a ‘Water footprint’?

THERE IS ENOUGH WATER TO DRINK – BUT WATER TO GROW FOOD IS A PROBLEM


Source: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/embedded-water/

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/embedded-water/



From Peter Menzel – “Hungry Planet”

WHAT THE WORLD EATS….

Water footprint = 552 m3/cap/yrEnergy Use = 11 GJ/cap/yrCarbon footprint = >0.1 TC/cap/yr


Water footprint = 1072 m3/cap/yrEnergy Use = 12 GJ/cap/yrCarbon footprint = 0.3 TC/cap/yr


Water footprint = 1402 m3/cap/yrEnergy Use = 99 GJ/cap/yrCarbon footprint = 8 TC/cap/yr


Water footprint = 2842 m3/cap/yrEnergy Use = 327 GJ/cap/yrCarbon footprint = 18 TC/cap/yr


MEAT CONSUMPTION INCREASES WITH WEALTH


GLOBAL VIRTUAL WATER TRADES


THERMAL (COAL FIRED)

WIND ENERGYHYDROPOWER

Source: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/freshwater/embedded-water/

NATURAL GAS

ENERGY PRODUCTION ALSO REQUIRES WATER




High oil prices push countries to divert grain and sugar production into biofuels. This increases food prices and can drive social instability and food shortages. This has global reach, and many countries are opting for food security policies – hence increased irrigation.

A WATER, FOOD AND ENERGY NEXUS


INCREASED WEALTH ALSO MEANS INCREASED POLLUTION


New pollutants which have impacts at very low concentrations like endocrine disruptors POPs and pharmaceuticals are affecting ecosystems and humans. Increased use of soaps and detergents, and modern household appliances increase pollutant loads.

INCREASED WEALTH ALSO MEANS ‘NEW’ POLLUTANTS


In South Africa…Secondary treatment plus u$ 6 m/a

Tertiary treatment plus U$ 115 m/a

Primary treatment costs are U$ 60 m/a

COSTS OF TREATING WATER TO POTABLE STANDARDS INCREASE


HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX

ECO

LOG

ICA

L FOO

TPRIN

T – GLO

BA

L HEC

TAR

ES

HOW MUCH SPACE IS THERE ON EARTH TO COPE WITH OUR

DEMANDS?


THE KEY MESSAGES!!

It is not the number of people on the globe that is the problem, but the number of middle-class people.A water, food and energy nexus will drive water management in the future.Water is likely to become much more of a globally strategic issue.


PART IIWHAT ON EARTH CAN WE DO

ABOUT IT?


INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCE

MANAGEMENT?

ENVIRONMENTAL

SOCIALECONOMIC

For Sustainable Development • Mekong IWRM ProjectFor Sustainable Development • Mekong IWRM Project

THE PUBLIC TRUST

PRINCIPLE


AVAILABLE

WATER

Time

STORING WATER IN WET TIMES FOR DRY TIMES


AVAILABLE

WATER

Time

CHANGING FLOW REGIMES


AVAILABLE

WATER

Time

THE MORE STORAGE THE GREATER THE IMPACTS


STORAGE AND GROWTH?


World Commission on Dams – on balance the impacts on ecosystems and people are more negative than positive. World Bank Water Sector Strategy – ‘Return to high risk – high value infrastructure’. IWMI, DFID, UN-WWAP, WB – All report positive links between irrigation infrastructure and poverty reduction. Infrastructure can help address the governance challenge (Gavin Quibell).

IS STORAGE AND INFRASTRUCTURE THE ANSWER?


ADDRESSING WATER QUALITY

PRODUCTION

USE

DELIVERY

TRANSPORT


WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT? RESILIENCE

RESILIENCE

RESILIENCE

RESILIENCE

RESILIENCE

RESILIENCE

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY SPACEDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY SPACE

RESILIENCE

RESILIENCE

RESILIENCE

RESILIENCE

RESILIENCE

RESILIENCESCENARIO 1

SCENARIO 2

SCENARIO 3

SCENARIO 4


“Sustainable Development” is primarily a socio-political construct based on the level of

risk countries are willing to take with development.


PROSPERITY WITHOUT GROWTH?


HAPPINESS WITHOUT WEALTH?


THE KEY MESSAGES!!

Consistently applying IWRM principles set against agreed sustainable development targets can help us address the challenges.Prosperity without growth impacts & the ‘green economy’ offer new solutions.Carefully transitioning countries from resource-based developing to diversified services-based economies is critical.


PART IIIWHAT TOOLS DOES THE 1995 MEKONG AGREEMENT OFFER?

For Sustainable Development • Mekong IWRM ProjectFor Sustainable Development • Mekong IWRM Project

THE PUBLIC TRUST PRINCIPLETransbound

ary


IN 1995….The Governments of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam signed the;

“Agreement on the Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin” (the 1995 Mekong Agreement)


Vision: An economically prosperous, socially just and environmentally sound Mekong River Basin.


The Countries agreed to (inter alia);Cooperate on all fields of sustainable development;A Basin Development Plan;Protect the ecological balance; The reasonable and equitable use of water;Notification and Prior Consultation processes; The maintenance of flows on the mainstream; Prevent, cease and take responsibility for harmful effects; andNotify one another of emergency situations.

THE KEY COMMITMENTS / AGREEMENTS


1) Best practice guidelines for hydropower development, navigation, flood management and mitigation, irrigation development etc.

2) The 1995 Mekong Agreement – which establishes the MRC.

3) The Procedures.4) The Basin Development Plan / Strategy

THE KEY TOOLS


Procedures on Data, Information Exchange and Sharing (PDIES) - 2001Procedures on Water Use Monitoring (PWUM) - 2003 Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation and Agreement (PNPCA) - 2003Procedures for the Maintenance of Flows on the Mainstream (PMFM) - 2006Procedures for Water Quality (PWQ) - 2011

THE PROCEDURES


MEKONG

STORAGE IN THE LMB?


Jan Feb Mar Apl May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Actual flow

= Surplus water or Development Opportunity Space

SURPLUS WATER FROM THE PMFM??



A

Trib. 1

Trib. 2

PMFM


B PMFM

50,000 ha

PNPCA PDIES

PWQPWUM

75,000 ha

25,000 ha


There are three ‘sources’ of surplus water

Surplus created by the natural variability in flows;Surplus created by storage / hydropower within the LMB; andSurplus created by the operation of the hydropower in China.

SOURCES OF SURPLUS WATER


Implementing the Procedures together in this way will;

Streamline the PNPCA;Focus the PWUM and PMFM on giving effect to reasonable and equitable use;Prioritize implementation of the Procedures, and the Toolbox; andProvide mechanisms for negotiating bilateral or multilateral arrangements around ‘surplus’ water.

THE BENEFITS


Integrating the Procedures makes them much more than transboundary

safeguards, but makes them IWRM-based tools to support transboundary cooperation and management.

KEY MESSAGES

TRANSBOUNDARY WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE MEKONG BASIN

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