NGOs play an important role in collecting data in the Mekong Basin by conducting studies that fill gaps in biodiversity, environmental monitoring, food security, resource use, livelihoods, and governance. They collect data through community interviews, environmental monitoring, and by training local people to collect data through participatory approaches. Examples of NGO data collection included aquatic resource surveys, fishery surveys, and fish conservation evaluations in Laos that gathered data on catches, consumption, markets, species, and fish movements. Challenges for NGOs include lack of data standardization, ensuring data quality, and communicating the importance and uses of the data collected. The Mekong Fish Network aims to address these challenges by building capacity,

1. Sinsamout Ounboundisane, Erin Loury, Shaara Ainsley, and Harmony Patricio
Mekong River System Science Data Workshop
Ho Chi Minh City, September 2014
The Role of NGOs in Data Collection and Management in
the Mekong Basin

2. NGOS = Non-Governmental Organizations
Examples:
Non-Profit Organizations
Private Companies
Citizen Groups
Many NGOs are actively collecting data in the Mekong Basin
What are NGOs?

3. NGOs Can Help Fill Data Gaps on Various Themes
Biodiversity assessments
Environmental monitoring
Food consumption and food
security
Ecosystem stewardship and
resource use
Livelihoods and economics
Governance

4. How do NGOs Collect Data?
Community interviews
Collect environmental data
Design research studies
Train citizens to collect data
through a participatory approach

5. Nam Kading Aquatic Resources Survey
Conducted by FISHBIO with support
from WCS
Location: Nam Kading River,
Bolikamxay Province, Lao PDR
Trained villagers to collect data
through participatory approach:
Data collected
Fishing catches
Household food consumption
Market surveys

6. Standardized Fishery Survey Pilot Study
Conducted by FISHBIO
Location: Mekong River, Sangthong
District, Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR
Trained fishers to collect data
through participatory approach:
Data collected
Fish species and abundance
Fish lengths and weight
Fishing effort
Uploaded project data to Mekong
Fish Network Databank

7. Evaluating Spillover of Fish Conservation Zones
to Village Fishing Catches
Conducted by FISHBIO in
collaboration with WWF
Location: Nam Kading River,
Bolikamxay Province
Trained villagers to tag fishes inside
Fish Conservation Zone
Instructed fishers to report
recaptures of tagged fish to Lao
Women’s Union
Data collected
Fish recapture rate
Fish movements outside of FCZ

8. Water Quality Monitoring
Conducted by Asia Foundation
Locations: 10 villages, 10 small rivers of
two provinces in central Laos
Methods: Collect invertebrates with
kick nets, 2 times per year (wet and
dry seasons)
Data collected
Presence/absence of 38
representative benthic macro-
invertebrates that have sensitivity
to the status of water quality.

9. Scientific Data Gaps and Needs in the Mekong Basin
Population status of aquatic organisms
(past and current trends)
Ecosystem impacts of climate change
Ecosystem impacts of human
development
Capacity building and education
Best practices for environmental
conservation

10. How can NGO data benefit government and academic
research?
NGOs often have developed
relationships with local communities
Sharing data and resources can increase
geographic and temporal scope of
research, while reducing budgets
Can help fulfill agency reporting
requirements without using agency
money and resources
Including NGOs as collaborators can
increase project credibility

11. Institutional Challenges and Needs
Lack of standardized format for collecting information
Different organizations will have different goals and objectives
Data collected without time or resources to conduct analysis
Challenges of data quality control and analysis
Technical challenges: data lost or corrupted
Lack of continuation with staff turnover
Difficulty communicating the importance of why the data
matter
Need for a network to share findings or achievements
Need for peer review and reliable references

12. Addressing Challenges: The Mekong Fish Network
Goals:
Build the technical capacity of
local people and institutions
Facilitate dialogue and
collaboration across borders to
Create connections and provide
tools to share knowledge
The Mekong Fish Network
provides a platform for groups
of all kinds to share their work

13. Tools for Communication:
www.mekongfishnetwork.org
Click to join or contact
Sign up for email
newsletters
Access MFN Databank

14. Thank You.
Sinsamout Ounboundisane
sinsamout@fishbio.com