Kimsan Chann, Ty Sok, Romduol Khoeun, Vuthy Men, Supattra Visessri, Chantha Oeurng, Ratha Sor and Sarah E. Null
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16254; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316254
Received: 13 September 2022 / Revised: 18 November 2022 / Accepted: 28 November 2022 / Published: 6 December 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Aquatic Ecology for Sustainability: Priorities, Approaches, and Partnerships for Management and Conservation of Freshwaters)
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.
Citation: Chann, K.; Sok, T.; Khoeun, R.; Men, V.; Visessri, S.; Oeurng, C.; Sor, R.; Null, S.E. Prolonged and Severe Drought in the Most Dammed Tributaries of the Lower Mekong Basin. Sustainability 2022, 14, 16254. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316254
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
