This presentation was delivered by Simon Tilleard at the Lancang – Mekong Environmental Study Workshop that took place at the 2016 Greater Mekong Forum on Water, Food and Energy.
The presentation documents the current condition and drivers of change for hydrology and sediment transport in the study section. It also provides information for biodiversity teams so that they can understand habitat availability.
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Hydrology and sediment initial baseline
1. Environmental study of
the Lancang Mekong
Development Plan
(LMDP) for International
Navigation
Hydrology and
sediment initial baseline
2. Purpose
• Document the current condition and drivers of
change for hydrology and sediment transport in
the study section
• Provide information for biodiversity teams so
they can understand habitat availability
Caveats
• Desktop study based on literature review and
data analysis
• Findings needs to be expanded and confirmed
through field visit/s
Purpose of the study
8. Sediment supply
• UPSTREAM CATCHMENTS
– Main source of sediment supply (estimated as producing
Suspended Sediment Yield of 700 t/km2/year (Walling,
2009)
• TRIBUTARY CONFLUENCES
– Could not be quantified
– Qualitative assessment using satellite imagery shows
seven tributaries likely to be supplying large amounts of
sediment to the mainstream
• BANK AND CHANNEL EROSION
– Temporal-spatial analysis of satellite imagery shows that
the river is not highly active therefore unlikely to be supply
large sediment loads
14. Change in catchment land use
• 22% decrease in forest cover between 1960 to
2000 in Upper catchments, and similar decrease
in catchments of tributaries entering study reach
• No increase in flow over this period
• Increasing sediment loads between the 1960s
and early 2000sYear1961
Year2002
Year1961
Year1997
(Walling, 2008)
16. Upstream dams – hydrology
Study Findings
Simulation of effects using modelling
Rasanen et al,
2012
Amplitude of the annual flood pulse reduced
Dry season flows increased
Zhao et al,
2013
Increased flows in Jan, May and Jul
Decreased flows in Oct and Nov
May be climate factors
Analysis of observed datasets
Campbell 2007 Decreasing August flows at Chiang Saen
Lu et al, 2014 Decreasing August flows at Chiang Saen
More variable flows in the dry season
Li and He, 2008 Decrease in dry season flows
17. Upstream dams – hydrology
• Volume of flow during the dry season has
significantly decreased in many years (1993,
1997-1999, 2004) at both Luang Prabang and
Chiang Saen
18. Upstream dams – hydrology
• Lowest monthly flow has significantly
decreased in many years (1993, 1995, 1997-
1999, 2003-2007) at LB and CS
19. Upstream dams – hydrology
• Our analysis based on 1950/60 to 2006/07
and observed change
• New analysis using data up to 2014/15 shows
that the later larger dams are having a more
significant impact (baseline is changing
further)
25. Climate change
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
20,000
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Averagedailydischarge(m3/s)
ChiangSen BL Chiangsen CC
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
20,000
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Averagedailydischarge(m3/s)
Luang Prabang BL Luang Prabang C
homPhanom BL
homPhanom CC
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
45,000
50,000
lydischarge(m3/s)
MukdahanBL MukdahanCC
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
45,000
50,000
lydischarge(m3/s)
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
20,000
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Averagedailydischarge(m3/s)
ChiangSen BL Chiangsen CC
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
20,000
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Averagedailydischarge(m3/s)
Luang Prabang BL Luang Prabang CC
(ICEM, 2013)
27. • Located on Mekong River 14km upstream of
Pak Beng town
• Concrete run-of-river gate dam
• Installed capacity of 815 MW
• Navigation lock for 500t capacity boats
Pak Beng – project details
29. • Run-of-river so, once filled, should be
negligible effect on downstream hydrology
• Blocking of sediment behind dam wall leading
to downstream sedimentation starvation
• Changes in flow within the backwater extent
Pak Beng – possible impacts
30. • Hydrology
– Annual flood pulse
– Importance of Upper Mekong catchment
• Sediment transport
– Importance of Upper Mekong catchments
– Zone of deposition
• A changing situation
– Land use change – increasing sediment loads
– Upper Mekong reservoirs – altering hydrology and
sediment
– Climate change – will alter hydrology
– Lower Mekong reservoirs (Pak Beng) - TBC
In conclusion
31. We are passionate about the protection and restoration
of waterways, catchments and water resources. We
strive to make a positive difference to the world we live
in.
Hinweis der Redaktion
Image: Delta region, Netherlands. Along the southern coast of the Netherlands , sediment laden rivers have created a massive delta of islands and waterways in the gaps between coastal dunes. After unusually severe spring tides devastated this region in 1953, the Dutch built an elaborate system of dikes, canals, dams and locks to hold back the North Sea. SOURCE: US Geological Survey.
Fundamentally altered baseline
If we went back to pre-1992 then the baseline would be different and if we look over the last five years the it has shifted again as larger dams are constructed upstream,
Naturally a annual flood pulse and high sediment loads, but these have been shifting
Image: The Niger River. Coursing through parches, landlocked Mali in Western Africa, the Niger River flows north through an ancient sand sea before turning sharply east to skirt the edge of the dune-striped Sahara. At the confluence of the Bani and Niger Rivers is an inland delta complete with narrows, twisting waterways, lagoons and tiny islands. SOURCE: US Geological Survey.
Clear flood pulse in the study reach - Water levels recorded at Chiang Saen fluctuate by up to 10 m between mid-April and mid-August, and at Luang Prabang, the seasonal changes in water levels can exceed 15 m
Not as significant as further downstream
Large amount of flow enters within the study reach (Annual flow volumes at Luang Prabang average around 40,000 Mm3 higher than that at Chiang Saen)
Importance of the upper catchment for the hydrology of the study reach
At Chiang Saen the Upper Mekong catchments contribute 70% of wet season and almost all the dry season flow
At Luang Prabang, the Chinese catchments contribute 55% of wet season flow and 80% of dry season flow – still a significant amount
Image: The Niger River. Coursing through parches, landlocked Mali in Western Africa, the Niger River flows north through an ancient sand sea before turning sharply east to skirt the edge of the dune-striped Sahara. At the confluence of the Bani and Niger Rivers is an inland delta complete with narrows, twisting waterways, lagoons and tiny islands. SOURCE: US Geological Survey.
Some disagreement on the reliability but average suspended sediment load at Chiang Saen is around 81.7 million tonnes/year, compared to 76.8 million tonnes a year at Luang Prabang
The study section is therefore an area of net deposition
Image: The Niger River. Coursing through parches, landlocked Mali in Western Africa, the Niger River flows north through an ancient sand sea before turning sharply east to skirt the edge of the dune-striped Sahara. At the confluence of the Bani and Niger Rivers is an inland delta complete with narrows, twisting waterways, lagoons and tiny islands. SOURCE: US Geological Survey.
the land use changes have not been significant enough to affect the hydrological regime of the study reach
Suspended sediment load of the Mekong River at Chiang Saen, and Luang Prabang for 1961 with the load for a recent year and similar water discharge
point is that there is some contention on what the impacts
So we did our own analysis for stations in the study reach
Used Flow Health software developed in Australia. Compares baseline against test period for nine hydrological indicators
Climate change is projected to increase rainfall across the Mekong Basin, leading to increased annual flows in the Mekong mainstream
At Chiang Saen and Luang Prabang the flow is projected to increase throughout the year, with the greatest increases occurring during the wet season
The timing of the flood peak is also expected to change, with a delay of a few days at Luang Prabang and a delay of up to 14 days at Chiang Saen
Fundamentally altered baseline
If we went back to pre-1992 then the baseline would be different and if we look over the last five years the it has shifted again as larger dams are constructed upstream,
Naturally a annual flood pulse and high sediment loads, but these have been shifting
Image: Mississippi River Delta. Turbid waters spill out into the Gulf of Mexico where their suspended sediment is deposited to form the Mississippi River Delta. Like the webbing on a ducks foot, the marshes and mudflats prevail between the shipping channels that have been cut into the delta.
SOURCE: US Geological Survey.