National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Environmental Issues in the Mekong Region

Chavalit VidthayanonSenior Aquatic Ecology Specialist

Environment Program, MRCS

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Objective: Management and Development in the Lower Mekong Basin is guided by up to date environmental and social knowledge and efficient environmental management cooperation mechanisms

Outcomes Monitoring, assessment and

reporting Environmental management

mechanisms Response to emerging

environmental issues Capacity building, awareness

raising and partnerships

Environment Programme Environment Programme

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDRMRC Roadmap for MRC Roadmap for

Environment MonitoringEnvironment MonitoringMRC Roadmap for MRC Roadmap for

Environment MonitoringEnvironment Monitoring

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010-15

Design of activities Develop and test methods Implement on activities Dissemination

2004-07: Testing of biological metrics

2003: Selection of biological groupsBenthic diatoms; Zooplankton; Littoral macroinvertebrates; Benthic macroinvertebrates

2007: Site evaluation using biological metrics

2008: Data collection

2009: Data analysis and reporting

2010: publishing methods handbook, identification books and educational materials on biomonitoring

2010: National Teams continue biomonitoring activities

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Ecosystem Health Monitoring (EHM) 2011 41 sampling sites in the Lower Mekong Basin

Environmental variable monitoring

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

EHM 2011 Bioindicators

Zooplankton

Benthic invertebrates

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Littoral invertebrates

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Benthic Diatom

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDRDisseminationDisseminationDisseminationDissemination 2010: National Teams continue biomonitoring activities 2011: Publishing

– Handbook of Biomonitoring in the Lower Mekong (including national dissemination workshop)

– Macroinvertebrate reference collections for NMCs and MRCS– Identification books for diatom and zooplankton

2011: National biomonitoring survey

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Concept and RoadmapConcept and Roadmapfor knowledge transfer for knowledge transfer Concept and RoadmapConcept and Roadmapfor knowledge transfer for knowledge transfer

Target stakeholders whose knowledge should be transferred; – National line agencies– University and research institutions– School and children– Local people at sites– Non-Government Organizations/ Non-Profit

Organizations – Volunteers

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Results of Mekong Water Quality (2010-2011)Results of Mekong Water Quality (2010-2011)

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Class A (Excellent)

Class B (Good)

Class C (Moderate)

Class D (Poor)

EHM 2011 Results

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Geography of the Mekong basin

Seasonal flooding areas

Mekong water fed by Himalayan snow and tropical monsoon

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR Biophysical

features of the Mekong basin

Annual Precipitation (rainfalls)

Forests and Land-use

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR Biodiversity

Hotspot in LMB

Biodiversity Hotspot/ important wetlandTrans-boundary Biodiversity Hotspot

Khone Fall-Kratie

Pha taem-Phu Xiangthong

Tonle Sap/ Great Lake system

Kut ting-Bung Khong Long

Chiangsaen-Bo Kaew

Xe Kong, Xe Pian

Southern Cambodian Mekong-The Delta

Srepok basin

Lower Songkram basin

U Minh-Tram Chim-Lang Sen

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR Mekong basin: one of Global

Freshwater Fish and shellfish Biodiversity Hotspots and Endemism Areas

World Atlas of Biodiversity (2002)

At least 1118 fish species with 305 only in the Mekong basin

200 crabs and shrimps

>130 species snails, clams

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

From So Nam and Eric Baran, FISH AND FISHERIES OF TONLE SAP GREAT LAKE, CAMBODIA. Sustaining Fisheries Diversity, Fisheries and Aquaculture in the Mekong Basin Ubon Ratchathani University 03-05th September

From 46 families

Ca. 10 families, most species are Cichlids

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR การอพยพของปลา ในน �าโขง

Fish Migrations

พค-มิ�ย

กค-ตค

ข��น

ลง

More than 300 species are Migratory both short and long distant

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Kratie-Stung Treng Freshwater Ecoregion

Turbid torrent river

Clear rocky streams and islands

ปลาขาว White fishes

Grey fishes

ฤดู�กาลที่��แตกต�าง Seasonal Habitat Switching

Riverine benthic

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR Biotic Key

Environmental Asset (KEA) of LMB

Fish & shellfishReptiles/amphibian Flora/vegetation

Odonata (dragon-damsel flies

Alien species

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Utilization• Meat• Hides• Feedmeal for crocodile farms

• Exported to China (whole)Thailand (hides)

Exploited ~7,000,000 water snakes of 10 species annually, from the Cambodian Great Lake to the Delta (from Brook, Allison & Reynolds, 2007)

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Water plants ; useful for food, livestock feed, medicine, tools and handicraft

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDROver 250

Fishing gears/methods within the Mekong Basinwide

Ethno-Diversity

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR Riverine Indicator

Sensitive specieslarger spp.Long migratory spp.

Tolerant/small and Alien species

Fishing impact

Ecological impact

Sentinel species

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Dominate replacement of farm/alien species indicate degradations of the habitats: as well as abandon of local fishing gears/ knowledge

Indicators from Local Livelihoods

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Sources of stressSources of stressSources of stressSources of stress

Stress sources identified by the grey literature review include:

Unsustainable practices (eg. overfishing, habitat destruction)

Demographic pressures (eg. population growth)

Conversion of land to other uses

Pollution and water quality and quantity (eg. use of pesticide in some cases, drying up of some small stream in the dry season)

Natural variability (eg. floods, droughts)

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDRภาวะค!กคามิภาวะค!กคามิ Threats to the MekongThreats to the Mekong BiodiversityBiodiversityภาวะค!กคามิภาวะค!กคามิ Threats to the MekongThreats to the Mekong BiodiversityBiodiversity

0 50 100 150 200 250

Other Types

Pollution

Natural Disasters

Invasive AlienSpecies

Intrinsic Factors

Human Disturbance

Harvesting

Habitat Loss /Degradation

Th

reat

Number of Species

Past & PresentFuture

Modified from Mala Ram, 2008SRLI Freshwater FishInstitute of Zoology, Zoological Society of

London

Habitat loss

การจั#บมิากปลาเก�น Overfishing

สั#ตว'- พ(ชต�างถิ่��น Invasive Alien

ภ�มิ�อากาศเปล��ยนแปลง Climate Change

National Workshop on wetland inventory framework and methodology 16 November, 2011. Thalath, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Arrow-shape fence trap in Tole Sap lake

Gigantic scale fisheries

From So Nam and Eric Baran, FISH AND FISHERIES OF TONLE SAP GREAT LAKE, CAMBODIA. Sustaining Fisheries Diversity, Fisheries and Aquaculture in the Mekong Basin Ubon Ratchathani University 03-05th September

Thanks for your coming