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The Mekong is one of the world’s longest rivers connecting six Asian countries, China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
People and fish, as well as many other species in this biologically rich region, are directly connected to the river, so that what impacts the river also impacts them.
A river of life and livelihood, the Mekong provides for navigation, agriculture, and for the rich, naturally-produced fishery that is the primary protein source for more than 50 million people.
Computer models and visualization tools can help people develop an integrated view of river life and provide a scientific basis for critical decisions about regional development and sustainability.
The Mekong River Commission, or MRC, collects river flow data used to develop hydrology models within a decision-support framework.
The MRC is upgrading a Mekong version of the popular Soil Water and Assessment Tool, or SWAT model, to predict how river flow might change in response to such factors as climate change and proposed regional development projects, including mainstream and tributary dams designed for irrigation and hydropower.
The U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Geological Survey, and university partners are developing a graphic visualization tool, or GVT, to present SWAT model results, thereby helping policy makers and planners communicate and evaluate complex river scenarios.
This GVT allows SWAT users to read and display input and output files with enhanced graphical capacity, zoom in and zoom out, and split screen for multiple parameters or file sets of different scenarios, such as with and without a project or dam.
The U.S. State Department, USGS, and private contractor FISHBIO supported the first meeting of the Mekong Fish Monitoring Network in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in February 2012. The MRC, the lower Mekong Basin nations, universities, and nongovernmental organizations all participated in this meeting to help increase fisheries knowledge and data sharing.
The life of the Mekong teems with boat traffic and trade year round above the surface, while seasonal floodwaters initiates the migration and netting of an abundant fishery below the water.

Fish catch corresponds to the depth of annual flood, which varies seasonally and annually depending on degree and timing of snowmelt and monsoon rains.
Bridge faces show the colored marks and banding of recurring flood levels which corresponds to height of banks and stilted homes and use of floating houseboats.
The river grade and bottom depth varies along the rivers course and contributes to the wide variety of fish species and different guilds by habitat association and migration patterns.
Some fish guilds are more dependent on deep pools and slackwater environments, while others require moving water to migrate and spawn upstream, downstream, or onto to the floodplain during high water flows.
The U.S. Department of State, USGS, MRC, and the Autonomous Port of Phnom Penh coordinated a training workshop with Mekong Nationals to use specialized sonar and GPS equipment to conduct a hydrographic survey of the confluence of the Mekong, Tonle Sap, and Bassac Rivers around Phnom Penh.
Features of bottom depth, width, and roughness can be seen graphically and with additional river surveys add to enhanced modeling capacity for integrated river management.
The flow regulation that results from upstream dams may benefit some Mekong River residents, but changing natural water flow patterns can be problematic for sustaining the rich biodiversity of fish in the Mekong, particularly species with long-distance migratory behavior.
Migration patterns of important species can be graphically captured in the visualization to aid impact assessments of proposed dams with increased understanding of fisheries ecology of the Mekong.
Forecast Mekong is working with the Mekong River Commission to apply advanced computer applications, hydrographic surveys, and SWAT visualizations that will enhance the integration of knowledge and models of river life of the Mekong Basin from the headwaters to the delta.
The six nations that share the Mekong River will all benefit from a commonly held understanding of the benefits, impacts, and trade-offs of water resource development.
Scientific visualization provides a powerful tool to more effectively integrate the ecology and management of the Mekong for people, fish, and wildlife.

Title: Forecast Mekong: Virtual River of Life

Description:

The Mekong is one of the world’s longest rivers connecting six Asian countries, China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. People and fish, as well as many other species in this biologically rich region, are directly connected to the river, so that what impacts the river also impacts them. A river of life and livelihood, the Mekong provides for navigation, agriculture, and for the rich, naturally-produced fishery that is the primary protein source for more than 50 million people. Computer models and visualization tools can help people develop an integrated view of river life and provide a scientific basis for critical decisions about regional development and sustainability. The video is a form of science diplomacy requested by the U.S. Department of State to educate policy-makers and citizens in Southeast Asia about the vital importance of the Mekong River and delta in maintaining food security and livelihoods in the region. The U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Geological Survey, and university partners are developing a graphic visualization tool, or GVT, to present SWAT model results, thereby helping policy makers and planners communicate and evaluate complex river scenarios. Forecast Mekong is working with the Mekong River Commission to apply advanced computer applications, hydrographic surveys, and SWAT visualizations that will enhance the integration of knowledge and models of river life of the Mekong Basin from the headwaters to the delta.

Location: , Mekong River Basin, Southeast Asia

Date Taken: 7/2/2012

Length: 5:42

Video Producer: Thomas Doyle , USGS National Wetlands Research Center

Note: This video has been released into the public domain by the U.S. Geological Survey for use in its entirety. Some videos may contain pieces of copyrighted material. If you wish to use a portion of the video for any purpose, other than for resharing/reposting the video in its entirety, please contact the Video Producer/Videographer listed with this video. Please refer to the USGS Copyright section for how to credit this video.

Additional Video Credits:

Dipesh Bhattarai
Si Feng
Azmy Ackleh
University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA
Scott Malo
Marisol Gladding
Eric Olson
Erin Ryan
Robert Twilley
Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise, Lafayette, LA

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Tags: Mekong MekongRiverBasin rivers water