APINYA WIPATAYOTIN
Bangkok Post
Chinese dams built on the Mekong river upstream could become obstacles to Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's plan to divert water from the river to feed northeastern farmland, say Water Resources Department experts. They fear that the dams will lead to a reduction in the amount of water flowing downstream.
Saravut Cheevaprasert, director of the department's water resources policy and planning bureau, said the project could lead to water utilisation conflicts among countries in the lower Mekong basin.
He said members of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) - Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand - have not reached agreement on how much water each country can divert to their territory in the dry season.
''If we ignore good practice regarding the Mekong's utilisation, other countries may lodge complaints against us,'' Mr Saravut told a seminar on water diversion plans organised by Kasetsart University.
The idea of water diversion from the Mekong river has been proposed by Mr Samak who said the project was one of five megaprojects his government intended to implement.
Mr Saravut said the government should dust off the Kong-Chi-Moon water diversion project to supply water to farmland. The project, which was suspended years ago as it caused widespread soil salination in the region, is much cheaper than the Mekong river diversion.
Under the Kong-Chi-Moon project, 16 check dams would be built in the Chi and Moon river basins to store and supply water to over 400,000 rai of farmland.
The department also urged the government to consider diverting water from the Ngum river in Laos with some form of bilateral agreement, saying that the river would not be affected by Chinese dam construction and Thailand would not have to consult MRC members since the river is not an international one.
However, Chawee Wongprasittiporn, a senior engineer from the Irrigation Department, played down concerns over the impact of Chinese dams on Mekong water diversion, saying that the dams would be constructed to generate electricity, so water would be discharged from the dams to run turbines.
''Simulations have shown that water levels downstream in the Mekong will rise 20% during the dry season if Xiaowan dam, the largest dam in the series, is operational. So there will be enough water for us all year round,'' she said.
Currently, the department can supply only 10% of 105 million rai of farmland in the Northeast. It is expected that water consumption in Isan will rise from 10 billion cubic metres to over 48 billion cubic metres in 20 years.
Saravut Cheevaprasert, director of the department's water resources policy and planning bureau, said the project could lead to water utilisation conflicts among countries in the lower Mekong basin.
He said members of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) - Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand - have not reached agreement on how much water each country can divert to their territory in the dry season.
''If we ignore good practice regarding the Mekong's utilisation, other countries may lodge complaints against us,'' Mr Saravut told a seminar on water diversion plans organised by Kasetsart University.
The idea of water diversion from the Mekong river has been proposed by Mr Samak who said the project was one of five megaprojects his government intended to implement.
Mr Saravut said the government should dust off the Kong-Chi-Moon water diversion project to supply water to farmland. The project, which was suspended years ago as it caused widespread soil salination in the region, is much cheaper than the Mekong river diversion.
Under the Kong-Chi-Moon project, 16 check dams would be built in the Chi and Moon river basins to store and supply water to over 400,000 rai of farmland.
The department also urged the government to consider diverting water from the Ngum river in Laos with some form of bilateral agreement, saying that the river would not be affected by Chinese dam construction and Thailand would not have to consult MRC members since the river is not an international one.
However, Chawee Wongprasittiporn, a senior engineer from the Irrigation Department, played down concerns over the impact of Chinese dams on Mekong water diversion, saying that the dams would be constructed to generate electricity, so water would be discharged from the dams to run turbines.
''Simulations have shown that water levels downstream in the Mekong will rise 20% during the dry season if Xiaowan dam, the largest dam in the series, is operational. So there will be enough water for us all year round,'' she said.
Currently, the department can supply only 10% of 105 million rai of farmland in the Northeast. It is expected that water consumption in Isan will rise from 10 billion cubic metres to over 48 billion cubic metres in 20 years.
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