The Stream Flow and Water Level Change on Mekong Mainstream from the Hydropower Development Projects at Nakhon Panom, Thailand

Abstract

Mekong, a major trans-boundary river, is one of the main source of hydropower for many Southeast Asian countries. Sources of the hydropower come from many mega-dams along the river. However, constructing mega-dams for hydropower causes numbers of hydrological effect especially with the change of water flow and water level along the river. Nakhon Panom, a province located by the river bank in Thailand, has been severely affected by the hydropower dam operation. To solve these dilemmas effectively, a set of up-to-date data from all perspectives is need for the analysis, however, the data that reports on a transition of hydrological after dam construction are currently limited. This study aims to respond the needs of data by investigate the change of water flow and water level before and after the dam construction using various indicators under the principle of Indicators of Hydrological Alteration (IHA). Hydropower project timeline was created to analyze the daily discharge and water level from 1964 to 2013. Findings portrayed that the water flow had been significantly changing and may directly affects people along Mekong River in terms of their livelihoods, agriculture and tourism activities (e.g. Songkran Festival). The results of this study also can be used as a reference data for hydrological analysis in the future.