Presentation by Dr. Kim Geheb at the IWMI board meeting updating board members on CPWF research in the Mekong Basin

1. Report to the Board:
CPWF-Mekong Research
Highlights
Kim Geheb
CPWF-Mekong Basin Leader

2. To reduce poverty and foster
development by optimizing the use of
water in reservoirs.
If we’re successful, WSI will be:
 Managed in ways that are fairer and more equitable to all water users.
 Managed and coordinated across cascades to optimize benefits for all.
 Planned and managed to account for environmental and social needs.
 Used for multiple purposes besides hydropower alone.
 Better governed and the benefits better shared.

3. MK1
Optimizing
reservoir
MK3 management
Land & water for livelihoods
MK2
management
Water
in catchments
Valuation
with cascades
of dams
MK5
Coordination
and Change
MK6
MK7
Multi-
Fellowships
stakeholder
program
Platforms
MK4
Water
governance

4. MK1 • Has identified a variety of value-adding,
Optimizing
reservoir multiple-use activities for resettled
management
for livelihoods
communities.
• Both around reservoir area and
downstream of the dam.
• Has implications for the ways in which
dams are managed, designed and
operated.
• Later in 2012, will be implementing
pilot projects at all CPWF research sites.

5. • Not implementing these additional use
MK2
Water values serve to reduce the value of the
Valuation
dam.
• These added values do not greatly
increase the overall value of the dam,
their relative value to rural communities
is considerable.

6. MK3
Land & water • Hydrological models for both Sesan and
management
in catchments Nam Theun-Nam Kading catchments that
with cascades
of dams can be used to address focused questions
on multiple use, water and catchment
management.
• Exploring the use of agro-ecological and
land use suitability zoning using LUSET
models, to determine irrigation water
potential on the Sesan.

7. • Significant institutional weaknesses that
MK4
Water diminish the overall development
governance
potential of dams.
• Dam development is heavily sectoral.
• Dam development emerges as highly
fractured.
• Significant institutional weaknesses in
the ways regulations are implemented.

8. MK7
Fellowships • Inception workshop in March, 2012.
program
• 2nd call focused on water governance
in the Mekong Region.
• 23 new fellows selected.
• 2 more calls to be held, up to a total
of 63 Fellows.

9. The future
• Project on hydropower decision-making in the
Mekong.
• 5 commissioned projects.
• 5 open-call projects.

10. Thank you for your attention!