Mekong River Basin : Evaluation of the sediment monitoring project

Sediment dynamics is an essential process of river balance, and therefore a key issue in the management of large rivers such as the Mekong.

 

A program for the measurement of flows and sediment transport (Discharge and Sediment Monitoring Project) was funded by the French Fund for Global Environment (FFEM).

 

This project has received funds amounting to € 800,000 for a 3-year period (2012-2014) and is usually integrated into the "Information and Knowledge Management Program" of the Mekong River Commission (MRC), also supported by other partners.

 

The MRC asked two IOWater and IRSTEA experts to evaluate the project results.

 

This assessment was based on many project reports provided by the MRC and on a visit made to the main parties involved in this program: MRC centers in Vientiane, Phnom Penh, Ho Chi Minh City and WWF.

 

The evaluation showed that this program has contributed much in terms of training of the field teams and quality of the measurements made, even if it appears that some national agencies still lack financial resources.