Environmental Assessment: Environment Assessment
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Draft Mekong River Commission Basin Development Plan Programme, Phase 2 Assessment of basin-wide development scenarios Technical Note 4 Environment assessment (Work in Progress) February 2010 Note to the reader This series of technical notes is prepared to serve facilitation and discussion on the assessment of basin‐wide development scenarios of the Mekong Basin by stakeholders in the basin countries. The assessment process is continuing and feedback on the initial findings is requested. Mekong River Commission Basin Development Plan Programme, Phase 2 Assessment of basin-wide development scenarios List of Technical Notes Technical Note 1: Synthesis of initial findings from assessments Technical Note 2: Hydrological assessment Technical Note 3: Geomorphological assessment Technical Note 4: Environmental assessment: Impact on valuable wetland ecosystem/ Habitats and biodiversity Technical Note 5: Social assessment Technical Note 6: Economic assessment Technical Note 7: Power benefits assessment Technical Note 8: Agriculture impacts assessments Note: Technical note on Fisheries Assessment is being prepared. Only power point presentation is available Part 1: Impacts on valuable (wetland) ecosystems/habitats and biodiversity Table of Contents Table of Contents .............................................................................................................1 List of tables.....................................................................................................................3 List of Figures ..................................................................................................................4 1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................5 2 Valuable ecosystems/habitats and biodiversity in the LMB ....................................6 2.1 Introduction........................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Important ecosystems/habitats in the Lower Mekong Basin ........................................ 6 2.2.1 Main river channels ........................................................................................ 6 2.2.2 Rapids ........................................................................................................... 7 2.2.3 Deep pools..................................................................................................... 8 2.2.4 Small islands and riverine sand-bars ............................................................... 10 2.2.5 Permanent and Seasonally-inundated Floodplain Wetlands in Lao PDR, Thailand and Cambodia.............................................................................................................. 10 2.2.6 Permanent and Seasonally-inundated Floodplain Wetlands in the Vietnamese Delta 10 2.2.7 Tributaries and reservoirs .............................................................................. 10 2.3 Environmental services of wetlands ....................................................................... 10 2.4 Biodiversity, rare and endangered species............................................................... 10 2.4.1 Mammals..................................................................................................... 10 2.4.2 Birds ........................................................................................................... 10 2.4.3 Globally important endangered species ........................................................... 10 2.4.4 Reptiles ....................................................................................................... 10 2.4.5 Amphibians.................................................................................................. 10 2.4.6 Fish............................................................................................................. 10 2.4.7 Threatened and endangered species of fish in the Lower Mekong Basin ............. 10 2.4.8 Invertebrates ................................................................................................ 10 2.4.9 Additional information on the Vietnamese Delta.............................................. 10 3 Impacts on ecosystems/habitats and biodiversity...................................................10 3.1 Introduction......................................................................................................... 10 3.2 River channels ..................................................................................................... 10 3.3 Deep pools .......................................................................................................... 10 3.4 Rapids................................................................................................................. 10 3.5 Small islands and riverine sandbars........................................................................ 10 3.5.1 Upstream of Vientiane: ................................................................................. 10 3.5.2 Vientiane – Pakxahn: .................................................................................... 10 3.5.3 Pakxahn – Pakse:.......................................................................................... 10 3.5.4 Pakse – Kratie; ............................................................................................. 10 3.5.5 Kratie – Delta:.............................................................................................. 10 3.5.6 Impacts on species........................................................................................ 10 3.6 Flooded area........................................................................................................ 10 3.7 Inundated forests.................................................................................................. 10 3.7.1 Cambodia .................................................................................................... 10 3.7.2 Vietnam....................................................................................................... 10 3.8 Marshes/seasonal wetlands.................................................................................... 10 3.8.1 Lao PDR...................................................................................................... 10 3.8.2 NE Thailand................................................................................................. 10 3.8.3 Cambodia .................................................................................................... 10 3.9 Inundated grasslands ............................................................................................ 10 3.9.1 Lao PDR...................................................................................................... 10 3.9.2 NE Thailand................................................................................................. 10 1 Impacts on valuable ecosystems/habitats: 26/02/2010 3.9.3 Cambodia .................................................................................................... 10 3.9.4 Vietnam....................................................................................................... 10 4 Impacts on environmental hotspots........................................................................10 4.1 Introduction......................................................................................................... 10 4.2 Description of the Hotspots ................................................................................... 10 4.3 Assessment of impacts on the environmental Hotspots............................................. 10 4.4 Background information on the assessment of impacts on a number of the more important environmental hotspots...................................................................................... 10 4.4.1 Hotspot No. 9, Songkhram River’s lower reaches, seasonally inundated forests, and floodplains (Thailand) .................................................................................................. 10 4.4.2 Hotspot No. 13, Khone Falls – Siphandon (Lao PDR) ...................................... 10 4.4.3 Hotspot No. 15: Middle Stretches of Mekong River North of Stung Treng (Cambodia) ................................................................................................................. 10 4.4.4 Hotspot No. 17: Se San River (Cambodia)...................................................... 10 4.4.5 Hotspot No. 18: Boeng Chhmar and Associated River System and Floodplain (Cambodia) ................................................................................................................. 10 5 Flagship species......................................................................................................10 5.1 Introduction......................................................................................................... 10 5.2 Description of the Flagship species and major environmental threats under the development scenarios ..................................................................................................... 10 5.2.1 Mekong River Dolphin, Irrawaddy Dolphin Orcaella brevirostris, IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered................................................................................................... 10 5.2.2 Mekong Giant Catfish Pangasianodon gigas, IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered 10 5.2.3 Siamese Crocodile Crocodylus siamensis, IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered10 5.2.4 Eastern