Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - China to share Mekong data with MRC countries

China to share Mekong data with MRC countries

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
China's Ministry of Water Resources signed an agreement with the Mekong River Commission (MRC) on October 22. MRC

China to share Mekong data with MRC countries

China's Ministry of Water Resources signed an agreement with the Mekong River Commission (MRC) on October 22 which stated China would share more hydrological data with Mekong countries to ensure they can prepare for potential floods and droughts.

In an MRC press release, the commission’s secretariat CEO An Pich Hatda said infrastructure operations in the basin and tributaries were contributing to river flow changes and fluctuations which can impact communities on the river. More operational data sharing would be vital to better managing the river.

“The increased regulation of the basin and the opportunities and challenges it brings calls for greater data and information sharing, improved water release notifications, coordination of operations, and enhanced early warning systems,” Pich Hatda said.

The MRC said China has shared its water level and rainfall data from June to October during the rainy season for the last 18 years. The information the country shared was recorded at two hydrological stations located on the Upper Mekong at Yunjinghong and on a tributary at Manan, both in China’s Yunnan province.

Under the new agreement, China will extend its current data-sharing schedule to provide year-round data from the two stations. The data will be shared twice daily and include rainfall and river level data, the MRC said.

“China has also agreed to share urgent information on any unusual rise or fall in water levels and discharges, as well as other relevant information on factors that might lead to sudden flooding in the lower reaches of the basin,” the press release said.

The MRC said it had worked with China since 1996 on a number of collaborative initiatives, including annual meetings, data and information sharing, joint symposiums and technical exchanges on water resource development, environmental protection and hydropower development.

Mak Bunthoeun, a coordinator of River Coalition Cambodia at the NGO Forum on Cambodia, said the sharing of this data was one of the goals that the Mekong countries had been trying to achieve.

He said the Mekong countries tried to make it compulsory for China to share the information, rather than sharing it upon request.

“This is good news because we need transparent information about the water flow from upstream. This can avoid suspicion on China. Recently, a US-based organisation said China hid information and stored water upstream.

“They did not let the water flow, which meant countries downstream lacked water. This cooperation will clear this suspicion,” he said.

MOST VIEWED

  • 12th Cambodia int’l film festival to see return of Hollywood star

    Phnom Penh is set to come alive with the magic of cinema as the highly anticipated 12th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) takes centre stage. Boasting an impressive line-up of 188 films from 23 countries, including captivating shorts, feature films, documentaries and animation, the festival promises an

  • Brawl marrs football final as Indonesian take gold in seven goal thriller

    The Indonesian men's U22 men national football team were crowned champions of the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, defeating Thailand 5-2 in extra time on May 16 at Olympic National Stadium in Phnom Penh. The match was marred by an ugly incident that occured in the 91

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Candlelight Party disqualified from July general election

    The National Election Committee (NEC) has disqualified the Candlelight Party (CP) from contesting the upcoming general election, citing a lack of valid documentation. NEC spokesman Khorn Keomono said the CP failed to fulfil one of the three main requirements: including original documentation proving their registration

  • 1.4 billion dollar Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway due in four years

    The Government, through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, has officially signed a public-private partnership agreement with a private company for the construction of a Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway project that will connect the capital to Svay Rieng province. The budget for the project is

  • New Law on Taxation comes into effect

    Cambodia has enacted the eagerly-awaited new Law on Taxation, which aims to improve the national tax regime’s compliance with present and future international standards and economic conditions; encourage accountability, effectiveness and transparency in the collection process; and promote investment in the Kingdom. King Norodom