Monitoring the Mekong [monitoring water quality, SIDA]

A 3 year project to monitor water quality at 39 sites along the lower Mekong river was started in January 1985, and funded by the Swedish International Development Authority. The lower Mekong basin covered an area of 555,000 km2 in Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Kampuchea. Water quality problems were a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ambio 1987, Vol.16 (6), p.362-366
Main Author: Thongtham, C.N
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
CALIDAD DEL AGUA
Crops
Dams
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics
Exact sciences and technology
Groundwater
LAO
LAOS
MONITORING
Nordic Aid Projects
PAISES EN DESARROLLO
PAYS EN DEVELOPPEMENT
PROJET DE DEVELOPPEMENT
PROYECTOS DE DESARROLLO
QUALITE DE L'EAU
River deltas
River water
Sediments
Soil erosion
SURVEILLANCE
TAILANDIA
THAILAND
THAILANDE
VIET NAM
VIETNAM
VIGILANCIA
Water pollution
WATER QUALITY
Water samples
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Summary:A 3 year project to monitor water quality at 39 sites along the lower Mekong river was started in January 1985, and funded by the Swedish International Development Authority. The lower Mekong basin covered an area of 555,000 km2 in Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Kampuchea. Water quality problems were associated with soil erosion and dam siltation (due to deforestation and slash-and-burn cultivation), and with pollution by industrial wastes. A much more serious problem was the fact that the Korat Plateau (250,000 km2) was on top of a large block of salt. Building of dams could raise the groundwater level resulting in river salinization and soil salinization (through irrigation). In addition to identifying existing and potential problems, the Mekong Project aimed to develop water quality standards with a view to establishing guidelines and legal frameworks for quality control measures; formulate concrete proposals for improving and maintaining water quality; improve the understanding of water/land interaction; and introduce modern techniques (mathematical models, remote sensing) to explore policy options. The project had progressed relatively smoothly, with Laos, Thailand and Vietnam co-operating despite political conflicts. Kampuchea did not participate. It remained to be seen whether the work could continue after foreign funding ended.
ISSN:0044-7447
1654-7209