Here is a little information about the Vietnamese biodiversity. About 1
year ago a friend (Joakim Ojendal) and I did a study about the Mekong "the
Mighty Mekong Mystery - a study on the problems and possibilities of
natural resource utilization in the Mekong River Basin" for the Swedish aid
agency, Sida. This study partly considers effects of hydropower
development. We spent some time in the region, and found some interesting
litterature.
* "Biodiversity Action Plan for Vietnam", 1994, Government of the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam and the Global Environment Facility, Hanoi
* "Catch and Culture" Mekong Fisheries Network Newsletter, MRCS, This
little journal did in 1996 have articles on fish-ladders, and problems
related to this. A good person to talk to at the Mekong River Commission
Secretariat is Jørgen Jensen, a nice Danish guy who works with fisheries
issues.
*Chuong Phanrajsavong, 1996, "Hydropower Development in the Lower Mekong
River" in Stensholt Bob, 1996, "Development an Dilemmas in the Mekong
Subregion" Monash Asia Institute, Development Studies Centre, and Centre of
Southeast ASian Studies (Monash University), National Thai Studies Centre
(Australian National University) and National Centre for Vietnamese
Studies, Melbourne.
*Hill, Mark. T, and Hill, Susan A. 1994 "Fisheries Ecology and Hydropowre
in the Mekong River: an Evaluation of Run-of-the-River Projects", the
Mekong Secretariat, Bangkok.
*Nguyen Cong Than, 1993, "Vietnam Environment Sector Study" Prepared for
Asian Development Bank, JT Soil and Water Ltd. Bangkok
*"Report of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the United Nations
Conference on Evironment and Development", 1992, Translation
*Rothert, Steve, 1995 "Lessons Unleaqrned Damming the Mekong River"
International Rivers Network, Working Paper 6, October 1995, California
USA.
*"Vietnam National Plan for Environment and Sustainable Development
1991-2000 - framework for Aciton, 1991, SRV State Committee for Sciences,
UNDP,SIDA, UNEP, IUCN, Project VIE/89/021
*"Vietnam Water Resoruces Sector Review" 1996, A joint report by World
Bank, ADB, FAO, UNDP, and the NGO Water Resources Group in cooperation with
the Institute of Water Resources Planning, Vietnam.
* Vo Quy, Le Trong Cuc, Hoang Hoe, and Nguyen Mau Tai, 1991, "Biodiversity
Conservation and Protected Areas in Vietnam" Center for Natural Resources
and Environmental Studies, University of Hanoi.
As I mentioned above, Jørgen Jensen at the MRCS in Bankok has a large
knowledge on the issues. The Center for Natural Resources and Environmental
Studies, CRES, in Hanoi, could also be worth contacting.
One issue seldom mentioned in the discussions on hydropower development in
Vietnam, is that some of the plans in the central highlands could affect
the water flow to the Mekong, i.e. first to Cambodia, and secondly to the
Mekong delta.
I hope that this information could be of any help.
Elin Torell
Elin Torell
Coastal Resources Center
Narragansett Bay Campus
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI 02881
Tel: (401) 874-6103
Fax: (401) 874-6920
E-mail: elin at gsosun1.gso.uri.edu
WWW site: http://crc.uri.edu