Flood Management and Mitigation measures

Prepared by Somphone KHONGSAB Email [email protected]

Department of water resource, WREA

1 Contents

1. Main flood plains in Lao PDR 1.1 Mitigation measures and Response Flood damages and Loss

2. Institutional arrangement for flood mitigation 2.1 Data Monitoring and Collection Systems 2.2 Flood Forecast and Warning System

3. Programs and investments

4. Problems and challenges and assistance required

2 1. Main floodplains

1. Louangnamtha Province (Flashflood) 2. The Vientiane Plain (Vientiane Municipality and ), 3. ( Town and Xebangfai Mouth, Hinboun Mouth), 4. Province, 5. Saravan Province, Province ( Town), and province.

3 Xiengkhouang Province Luangprabang Borikhamxay Province Province Hailstorms Flash flood along the Flash flood in on the Road urban center No.13 and adjacent districts

Khammouan Province

Flash flood along the Mekong on the Road No.13 and Lower Vientiane Capital Vientiane Province Xebangfai River Flash flood in Urban Flash flood in Vangvieng District districts

4 1.1 Flood damages and Loss

Flood Damages and Losses (Billion Kip)

250

200 Luangprabang Vientiane Capital 150 Borikhamxay Khammouan 100 Khammouan Borikhamxay 50 Vientiane Capital

0 Luangprabang

5 Flood damages per year

• 1966-1999 floods and droughts Total flood damages (1997 - 2008) damage costs, which US$ 70,000,000.00 104,897,400 60,000,000.00 50,000,000.00 •1972, 1979, 1986, 1991, 1993 40,000,000.00 ,1997 and 1999 damage caused

30,000,000.00 by floods and Drought (US dollar) (US 20,000,000.00 US$597,700,000 10,000,000.00 0.00 •While the most severe damages 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 from flooding in 2001, 2002, Total flood damages 2008 caused more than US$ 50,000,000

6 Vientiane Capital City, September 1966

Mekong.

Vientiane Capital City Centre. September. 1966. Central Business Area under water for 5 weeks of monsoon. Floodpeak = 26 000 cumecs. (approximately a 1 in 50-100 year event.) Source picture from French’s News Papers

7 1.2 Mitigation measures and Response

• Flood forecasting by department of Meteorology and Hydrology (WREA) and the Department of Waterway (Ministry of Public Works and Transport), with technical support from MRCs such as: major tributaries, rainfall data for flood forecasting.

• Flood protection: levees, gates, drains have been built by the Lao government in major cities located along the Mekong River . (Vientiane, Bolikhamsay, Khammouan, Savannakhet,Champasak provinces).

• The work was carried out by Government’s budget, loans and foreign assistances. 8 9 2. Institutional arrangement for flood mitigation

Deputy Prime Minister’s office Chairman Ministry of Planning and Investment Vice Chairman Minister of Labor and Social Welfare Vice Chairman Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Member Water Resources and Environment Administration (WREA) Member Ministry of Energy and Mines Member Chief of Cabinet , Ministry of Foreign Affaires Member Chief of Cabinet, Ministry of Defense Member Chief of Cabinet, Ministry of Security Member Chief of Cabinet, Ministry of Education Member Director General of Budget Department, Ministry of Finance Member

Director General of Transport Department, Ministry of Public Works Member and Transport Director of Industry Department, Ministry of Industry and Commerce Member

Director of Hygiene Department, Ministry of Public Health Member

Director of Mass Media Department, Ministry of Information and Member Culture Director of Social Welfare Department, Ministry of Labors and Social Member Welfare Chairman of Lao Red Cross Society Member Lao Women Union Member Lao Youth Union Member 10 2.1 Data Monitoring and Collection Systems

• DMH there are 17 stations are main synoptic surface (monthly data recording and rainfall observation only) - 113 rain gauges, - Staff gauges are 119 stations, - 49 discharge measurement stations,

• C-Band Doppler radar at DMH Headquarter and MTSAT – 1R satellite receiving station.

• Collected data by the Provincial Meteorology and Hydrology Office (PMHO) with the assistance from the local people who live close to the stations, the data will later be reported to the DMH in Vientiane Capital. 11 2.2 Flood Forecast and Warning System

Nearly warning Urgent warning In the case the water level forecast at that In the case the water level exceeds warning station will expect to be at below warning level. DMH has to provide the urgent level. DMH has to provide the warning and warning to timely delivering to  Mass media and DMH makes an  Mass media and Ministry of Agriculture interview to mass media and Forestry  DMH report to Ministry of Agriculture  Prime Minister’s Office, Lao National and Forestry and later report to Prime Mekong Committee (LNMC) and Minister NDMO  Prime Minister’s Office, and LNMC  DMH make an interview to mass media  DMH sent the warning information to  DMH sent the warning information to PAFO and PMHO and to focus areas Provincial Agriculture and Forestry  At the same time DMH sends urgent Office (PAFO) and PMHO and to focus warning to NDMO areas  NDMO sends the urgent warning to  The warning message is broadcasted Provincial disaster management office through national and local radio stations and later to district office and focus areas during daily programme for disaster  National radio stations will broadcast the management warning massage through its program

regularly 12 3. Programs and investments

• Construction and improvement of disaster warning stations (gauge the flow of the Mekong River and its tributaries).

• Achieve the automatic collecting and dispatching of data through satellite at the 13 existing stations.

• Refine the prevision of flooding through the installation of internet at the 13 stations.

• Ensure a nation-wide system of floods mitigation.

13 3. Programs and investments

• Compile statistics data logs on water levels and flow rates.

• Water drainage construction plan in Vientiane Capital.

• In Bolikhamsay Province, the construction of locks against floods will continue on most critical tributaries such as Nam San and Nam Kading.

14 4. Problems and challenges and assistance required 1. Problems and challenges

• Data and information: flood management and mitigation data have available limited due to data quality system, limited of communication2. Assistance system (village,required province)

• Fund for flood• We management:need to supportneed to improveon flood capacity building of water resourcesmanagement management,and floodmitigation forecastingcapacity system; early warning; mitigation;building, andand alsotechnical we needsupport to improve. to drain water system, build a flood protection system due to some area has a low level.

• Expert and technical support: insufficient; because the flood management of our country to be a new work. Therefore, we have low experience for flood management and mitigation. 15 IP Action Plan

Month June July August

Activities 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3

Propose IP to DWR

Fist draft Meeting for IP content

Revise IP content

Review data for IP

Scond draft meeting for IP

Revise after get comment from meeting

Final IP (Submit to TWM Training Program) Target group – who will use the IP?  Department of Water Resources

 Water Resources Section of Provinces and Districts KobCha i -

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Thank you Very much