Joint MRC- Russia Conference on the Exchange of Experiences in the Sphere of Water Resources Management16-17 November 2015, Moscow, Russia

Water Quality and Ecological Health Monitoring in the Lower Mekong River BasinPresented by Dr Nguyen Huong Thuy PhanProgramme Coordinator, Climate Change and Adaptation Initiative (CCAI)Officer-in-Charge, Environment Programme (EP)

Content Water quality

monitoring (WQM) Background Scope Reporting Achievements and Outputs

Ecological health monitoring (EHM) Background Scope Reporting Achievements and Outputs

Background of MRC Water Quality Monitoring

1982 - an investigation on the availability of water quality data and recommendation for the establishment of WQM of the Mekong River

1985 – commencement of WQM in Lao PDR, Thailand and Vietnam

1993 - Cambodia joined WQM 2011-2015:

Addressing the requirements under MRC Procedures for Water Quality (PWQ)

Preparation for Decentralization

Scope of Water Quality Monitoring • Number of stations: 48 • Parameters to monitor – 12 routine water quality

parameters on a monthly basis

– 6 major ions monitored in wet season

• Standard methods for water and wastewater examination

• Additional problem-oriented studies

Reporting on Water Quality MonitoringReporting on status of water

quality based on different type of use: •Protection of Human Health•Protection of Aquatic Life, and•Agricultural Use

Protection of Human Health Acceptability

Achievements and Outputs• Water Quality Data stored in the

agreed format • National Water Quality Data

Assessment Reports• Regional Water Quality Data

Assessment Reports (overall water quality analysis)

• MRC Report Cards on the Mekong River Water Quality (once every two years)

• Interactive maps of water quality parameters and indices on MRC Data Portal

Background of MRC Ecological Health Monitoring (EHM)

2003-2007 Establishment of the database and seeking for a methodology.

2008 - Delivering the operating contents of EHM programme to the Member Countries

2013- 2015 - Field sampling and analysis

2016 onward – Preparation for decentralization

Regional Workshop on Reporting of EHM 2013

Scope of Ecological Heath Monitoring

• Spatial scope: totally 41 sampling sites

• Sampling-survey frequency: • Once every another year• In dry season

• Biological indicator groups (4): diatoms, zooplankton, littoral macroinvertebrates, and benthic macroinvertegrates

• Biometric indicators (4): abundance, richness, site disturbance score (SDS) and average tolerance score per taxon (ATSPT)

Regional Workshop on Reporting of EHM 2013

Achievements and Outputs• 8 Regional Reports and Report Cards

since 2008, with comparison development from previous 5 years.

• Four operation tools published/publishing

• Methodology Handbooks in 4 Riparian languages

• Identification handbook on benthic invertebrates

• Identification handbook on Zooplankton (lay-outing, will be in e-copy)

• Identification handbook on benthic diatom (editing, will be in e-copy)

Thank you!