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Sediment related impacts of climate change and reservoir development in the Lower Mekong River Basin: a case study of the Nam Ou Basin, Lao PDR

Author

Listed:
  • Bikesh Shrestha

    (University of Canterbury)

  • Shreedhar Maskey

    (UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education)

  • Mukand S. Babel

    (Asian Institute of Technology)

  • Ann Griensven

    (UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education
    Vrije Universiteit Brussels)

  • Stefan Uhlenbrook

    (UN World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP), UNESCO)

Abstract

This study applies the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT), with climate (precipitation and temperature) outputs from four general circulation models (GCMs) and a regional circulation model (PRECIS), to evaluate (1) the impacts of climate change on reservoir sedimentation and (2) the impacts of climate change and reservoir development on sediment outflow in the Nam Ou River Basin located in northern Laos. Three reservoir–density scenarios, namely one reservoir (1R), three reservoirs in series (3R), and five reservoirs in series (5R), were evaluated for both no climate change and climate change conditions. The results show that under no climate change conditions, by 2070, around 17, 14, and 15% of the existing reservoir storage volume in the basin will be lost for 1R, 3R, and 5R scenarios, respectively. Notably, under climate change scenario with highest changes in erosion and sediment outflux from the basin, the additional reduction in reservoir storage capacity due to sedimentation is estimated to be nearly 26% for 1R, 21% for 3R, and 23% for 5R. Climate change alone is projected to change annual sediment outflux from the basin by −20 to 151%. In contrast, the development of reservoirs in the basin will reduce the annual sediment outflux from the basin varying from 44 to 80% for 1R, 44–81% for 3R, and 66–89% for 5R, considering climate change. In conclusion, climate change is expected to increase the sediment yield of the Nam Ou Basin, resulting in faster reduction of the reservoir’s storage capacity. Sediment yield from the Nam Ou River Basin is likely to decrease significantly due to the trapping of sediment by planned reservoirs. The impact of reservoirs is much more significant than the impact of climate change on the sediment outflow of the basin. Hence, it is necessary to investigate appropriate reservoir sediment management strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Bikesh Shrestha & Shreedhar Maskey & Mukand S. Babel & Ann Griensven & Stefan Uhlenbrook, 2018. "Sediment related impacts of climate change and reservoir development in the Lower Mekong River Basin: a case study of the Nam Ou Basin, Lao PDR," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 149(1), pages 13-27, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:climat:v:149:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s10584-016-1874-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s10584-016-1874-z
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    Cited by:

    1. Zekâi Şen, 2021. "Reservoirs for Water Supply Under Climate Change Impact—A Review," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 35(11), pages 3827-3843, September.
    2. Jaap Evers & Assela Pathirana, 2018. "Adaptation to climate change in the Mekong River Basin: introduction to the special issue," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 149(1), pages 1-11, July.
    3. Łukasz Pieron & Damian Absalon & Michał Habel & Magdalena Matysik, 2021. "Inventory of Reservoirs of Key Significance for Water Management in Poland—Evaluation of Changes in Their Capacity," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-25, November.

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