Riverbank erosion is a major hazard for riparian communities in the Mekong River Basin. This study aims to (1) assess the livelihood vulnerability of two communities residing along the Mekong River, namely, Kaoh Soutin (KS) and Ruessei Srok (RS), by using the livelihood vulnerability index framed within the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change vulnerability framework (LVI-IPCC) and (2) identify the coping strategies of the communities based on semi-structured interviews. The results show that KS is slightly more vulnerable to riverbank erosion than RS, as indicated by LVI-IPCC values of 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHuman-induced changes in land and water resources adversely affect global hydrological regimes. Hydrological alteration of the natural flow regime is considered to have a significant damaging and widespread impact on river ecosystems and livelihoods. Therefore, understanding the hydrological alteration of rivers and the potential driving factors affecting such alterations are crucial to effective water resources management.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA common objective of watershed management programs is to secure water supply, especially during the dry season. To develop such programs in contexts of low data and resource availability, program managers need tools to understand the effect of landscape management on the seasonal water balance. However, the performance of simple, parsimonious models is poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe rapid expansion in mining activities is deteriorating the water quality in the Chindwin River of Myanmar. In addition, climate change may also aggravate this situation in future. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish a connection between hydrology, mining area, heavy metal loading, and climate change in the Chindwin River.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe economic value of the Tonle Sap Lake Floodplain to Cambodia is arguably among the highest provided to a nation by a single ecosystem around the world. Nonetheless, the Mekong River Basin is changing rapidly due to accelerating water infrastructure development (hydropower, irrigation, flood control, and water supply) and climate change, bringing considerable modifications to the flood pulse of the Tonle Sap Lake in the foreseeable future. This paper presents research conducted to determine how the historical flooding regime, together with human action, influenced landscape patterns of habitats in the Tonle Sap Lake, and how these habitats might shift as a result of hydrological changes.
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