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Mekong Resources,Mekong Resources, Benefits to people, and Planning Issues Benefits to people, and Planning Issues

session 1 : The Mekong and its water session 1 : The Mekong and its water resources resources

Mekong Resources,Mekong Resources, Benefits to people, and Planning Issues Benefits to people, and Planning Issues

session 1 : The Mekong and its water session 1 : The Mekong and its water resources resources

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Module ObjectiveModule ObjectiveModule ObjectiveModule Objective

Participants can identify Mekong water/ relate resources, current benefits to basin peoples, potentials for future development, and able to define key issues for planning water resources development.

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“..the Mekong River Basin and

the related natural resources and

environment are natural assets of

immense value…”

1995 Agreement

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• China• Myanmar• Laos• Thailand• Cambodia• Viet Nam

Discharge: 475 km3 / yearArea: 795,000 km2

Mekong River BasinMekong River Basin

Upper Basin

LowerBasin

Murray-DarlingDischarge: 12.6 km3 / yearArea: 1,073,000 km2

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Mekong River Basin

Upper Mekong Basin (UMB) 18 % of total flow (China 16% & Myanmar 2%)

Lower Mekong Basin (LMB)

625,000 km2

82 % total flows Cambodia – 18% Lao PDR– 35% Thailand – 18% Viet Nam – 11%

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MRB water resourceMRB water resourceMRB water resourceMRB water resource

Description China Mya Lao Thai Cam V/N Total

Catchment (Km2 )

165,000 24,000 202,000 184,000 155,000 65,000 795,000

% of Basin 22% 3% 25% 23% 19% 8%

% of country

4% 97% 36% 86% 20%

Average Flow (m3/s)

2,410 300 5,270 2,560 2,860 1,660 15,060

Percentage 16% 2% 35% 18% 18% 11%

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Main regions in the Mekong Main regions in the Mekong Main regions in the Mekong Main regions in the Mekong

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Main regions

• Upper Mekong Basin

Mekong River BasinMekong River Basin

For most of its length, it flowsThrough narrow valleys in the Mountain in China. UpperBasin is narrow, with few tributaries And gives 18% of the total flow

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Manwan and Dachaoshan dams,

Feb 2003

20 km

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Main regions• Upper Mekong Basin• Lower Mekong basin

•Highlands

Mekong River BasinMekong River Basin

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Mekong River BasinMekong River Basin

Main regions

• Upper Mekong Basin• Lower Mekong

• Highlands• Central/Isan Plateau

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Mekong River BasinMekong River Basin

Main regions

• Upper Mekong Basin• Highlands• Central / Isan Plateau• Cambodian plain and

Great Lake

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Mekong River BasinMekong River Basin

Main regions

• Upper Mekong Basin• Highlands• Isan Plateau• Cambodian plain and

Great Lake• Delta

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Longitudinal river profile of the Mekong River from source to delta

Longitudinal river profile of the Mekong River from source to delta

Vertical drop in the river is about 4,500m in China; the river drops only about 500m over the remaining 2,600km to the South China Sea.