MRC CEO Anoulak Kittikhoun (centre) and his team at the opening ceremony of a new monitoring station in Champassak province, Laos on November 15. MRC
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) inaugurated another of its latest Core River Monitoring Stations in Laos’ Champassak province on 15 November 2024.
Located downstream of Pakse City, the new station is one of 11 modern integrated stations that represent a significant step in improving the sustainable management of the Mekong River, announced a November 19 MRC press release.
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Chanthanet Boualapha, Vice-Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Laos, addressed the inauguration ceremony.
He highlighted the importance of the new station, explaining that core river monitoring is essential to track hydrology, sediment, water quality, fisheries health and the overall ecology of the Lower Mekong Basin.
“During the recent rainy season, Laos faced impacts from tropical storms, particularly Typhoon Yagi, causing widespread flooding. However, the meteorological and hydrological stations within the MRC core river monitoring network, and other stations under our Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, played a key role in providing timely and scientific information for early warning and flood preparedness at flood risk areas,” he added.
The release explained that under the MRC, monitoring efforts have matured into an integrated network over the past decade, thanks to support from the MRC Member countries – Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam – and the commission’s development partners.
France, Japan, Germany and the UK made specific contributions in terms of equipment and upgrades to the latest expansion of the network.
French ambassador to Laos Siv-Leng Chhuor, Nicole Stechmann, chargée d'affaires of the German embassy in Laos, Junya Nakano, minister and deputy chief of mission of the Japanese embassy in Laos, and Matthew Phillips, first secretary of the British embassy to Thailand, attended the event.
Som Bouttakoun, vice-governor of Champassak province, praised the important role the new station will play.
“Extension of the hydro-met network will contribute to disaster management at the provincial level, especially in terms of preparedness for natural disasters,” he said.
The release explained that with 62 meteorological and hydrological stations across the Lower Mekong Basin – 11 of which were added or upgraded this year – the network provides real-time data every 15 minutes. This includes water levels, rainfall and quality indicators, transmitted to the MRC Secretariat and national agencies. Laos alone operates 22 of these stations, with five newly established in 2024, and also hosts 13 of the 45 automatic water quality monitoring stations.
“Equally important, the new monitoring stations will significantly enhance the MRC's ability to deliver timely, evidence-based insights into the Mekong’s conditions, especially climate changes and impacts of dam operation,” it added.
“The MRC will now be able to track and analyse in real time multiple water parameters and how they affect one another. Development assistance becomes even more impactful when multiple partners align their efforts toward a shared goal,” noted the MRC CEO.
