Lancang-Mekong River region to share near real-time data on water resources

Near real-time data sharing is important for better managing the water resources of the Lancang-Mekong River to tackle climate challenges, experts say.

Noting near real-time data sharing is the right direction to go, Pianporn Deetes, campaigns director of the Southeast Asia Program of the non-profit organization International Rivers, said efforts need to be made to ensure the data is publicly disclosed and accessible to communities who are the ones most impacted by changes in water flows and levels.

"It is crucial to understand what is happening on the ground," Pianporn told China Daily, adding it is necessary to find ways, such as data sharing and improving the operation of existing dams, to create more inclusive, accountable and sustainable ways to manage the river, and listen to the voices and concerns of local people in the Lancang-Mekong basin.

Climate-caused drought has adversely affected the mighty Lancang-Mekong River in recent years, from the historic low flows of 2019–21 to the rare "reverse flow" that has shrunk Cambodia's vital Tonle Sap Lake, according to the initial findings of a joint study released on Oct 5 by the Lancang-Mekong Water Resources Cooperation in Center in China and the Mekong River Commission in Laos.

Originating from China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Mekong River, known as the Lancang River in China, runs across Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. It measures 4,880 kilometers in length, covering an area of 795,000 square kilometers and helps feed over 300 million people.

The report offers key recommendations, particularly a short-term recommendation that urges the riverine neighbors to further jointly study the different impacts of development and climate change along key parts of their common river, as well as to share critical data – including "real-time sharing of storage levels and hydropower operations".

Among the most significant passages within this report, it recommends that the Mekong partners enhance notifications of any sudden change in the ways water storage operates: "As global climate change and the associated droughts and floods will play an increasingly important role in driving the basin's hydrological conditions, it is critical for basin countries to share more information on meteorological flow conditions, extending to tributaries."

While real-time data on storage levels and hydropower operations is crucial for operational models and adaptive management, the long-term data on tidal changes, water and land use, and Lancang- Mekong delta groundwater levels support basin-wide research, the report said, adding that the information-sharing platform proposed under the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation framework provides an unprecedented opportunity.

Besides data sharing for hydropower development, climate changes have made it more important to work together on the diversification of power to ensure energy security while reducing carbon emissions due to the seasonal nature of hydropower, according to Natharoun Ngo Son, country director of nonprofit organization EnergyLab in Cambodia.

Noting Cambodia also has huge potential in solar power, Ngo Son told China Daily that China, a global leader in renewable energy, can cooperate in these areas.

For example, during the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation that just ended in Beijing on Oct 18, Ngo Son said Cambodia has secured an investment of 3.6 billion in its energy sector, with $600 million pledged specifically for solar and wind energy projects.

Speaking at the China-ASEAN Seminar on Water Technology via video link on Oct 12, Mekong River Commission Secretariat CEO Anoulak Kittikhoun said the commission is upgrading and expanding year by year its partnership with the Chinese partners to jointly study, monitor and manage the Lancang-Mekong River in an integrated fashion.

"I believe the more we know about each other, the more we share, and the more we formulate joint activities, our shared community in the Mekong, in ASEAN, and with China will be realized," said Kittikhoun.

Pianporn from the International Rivers also said technology can meet the Mekong region's energy and water needs in more sustainable and equitable ways.

Regardless of technology, the key issue is to ensure more inclusive cooperation and decision-making, she said.