Prolonged and Severe Drought in the Most Dammed Tributaries of the Lower Mekong Basin

Kimsan Chann (), Ty Sok, Romduol Khoeun, Vuthy Men, Supattra Visessri, Chantha Oeurng, Ratha Sor and Sarah E. Null
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Kimsan Chann: Faculty of Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Russian Federation Blvd., Phnom Penh 12156, Cambodia
Ty Sok: Faculty of Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Russian Federation Blvd., Phnom Penh 12156, Cambodia
Romduol Khoeun: Faculty of Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Russian Federation Blvd., Phnom Penh 12156, Cambodia
Vuthy Men: Faculty of Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Russian Federation Blvd., Phnom Penh 12156, Cambodia
Supattra Visessri: Department of Water Resources Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Chantha Oeurng: Faculty of Hydrology and Water Resources Engineering, Institute of Technology of Cambodia, Russian Federation Blvd., Phnom Penh 12156, Cambodia
Ratha Sor: Wonders of Mekong Project, c/o IFReDI, Fisheries Administration, No. 186, Preah Norodom Blvd., Khan Chamkar Morn, Phnom Penh 12300, Cambodia
Sarah E. Null: Wonders of Mekong Project, c/o IFReDI, Fisheries Administration, No. 186, Preah Norodom Blvd., Khan Chamkar Morn, Phnom Penh 12300, Cambodia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 23, 1-12

Abstract: Drought is a natural hazard that stresses ecosystems, agricultural production, food security, and local economies. Given ongoing hydropower dam development in the Sesan and Srepok Basins, the two most dammed tributaries in the Lower Mekong Basin, characterizing baseline drought events and understanding how dams modify downstream flow is needed to manage water resources and mitigate drought effects. We used the Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to estimate streamflow data from 2001 to 2019. For both rivers, we found that runoff varied, but contributed about 75% of streamflow, followed by shallow and deep groundwater, which contributed up to 25%. We used the Standardized Runoff Index to characterize drought and detected frequent, severe, and prolonged drought events in the two basins. Severe and prolonged droughts in the 2009–2011 and 2015–2016 periods corresponded to the occurrence of Typhoon Ketsana and the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Streamflow alteration can be caused by climatic conditions and anthropogenic activities such as hydropower dam development and operations (e.g., the timing and magnitude of water releases). Results from this study can be used as a baseline to gauge potential future droughts and design appropriate drought management plans to preserve ecosystems and food security in the Lower Mekong Basin and its tributaries.

Keywords: streamflow; runoff; SWAT; 3S basin; Standardized Runoff Index; drought intensity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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