Mekong & Dam Projects (http://www.nextcity.com/ProbeInternational/Mekong/mekongmap1.htm)
Mekong (http://www.thewaterpage.com/images/MekongMap.jpg)
Tonle Sap Seasonal Waterflow - Scroll down (http://www.thewaterpage.com/mekong_river.htm#Map)
Mekong in Vietnam (http://cantho.cool.ne.jp/ameder/map.html#Chapter3)
mekongriver.org (http://www.mekongriver.org/bando.html)
Mekong River Commission - Topographics, land use & flood extent (http://www.mrcmekong.org/info_resources/ffw/topo.htm) - Very informative Site
Mekong Basin -Protected Areas (http://www.mekong-protected-areas.org/mekong/pa-map.htm)
Mekong & Dam Projects (http://www.nextcity.com/ProbeInternational/Mekong/mekongmap1.htm)
Mekong (http://www.thewaterpage.com/images/MekongMap.jpg)
Tonle Sap Seasonal Waterflow - Scroll down (http://www.thewaterpage.com/mekong_river.htm#Map)
Mekong in Vietnam (http://cantho.cool.ne.jp/ameder/map.html#Chapter3)
mekongriver.org (http://www.mekongriver.org/bando.html)
Mekong River Commission - Topographics, land use & flood extent (http://www.mrcmekong.org/info_resources/ffw/topo.htm) - Very informative Site
Mekong Basin -Protected Areas (http://www.mekong-protected-areas.org/mekong/pa-map.htm)
It seems there have been some adjustments to the MRC site which also seem to render it a bit more functional. Here's the new URL. Other 'Mekhong' data is also linked from these pages:-
http://ffw.mrcmekong.org/topo.htm
http://ffw.mrcmekong.org/landuse.htm
http://ffw.mrcmekong.org/floodrisk.htm
MAPPING THE MEKONG
Race against time to survey border line
Story By Thanida Tansubhapol
From early July, Thais and Laotians living along the Mekong river will see three new ships belonging to the Thai navy's Hydrographic Department running up and down the river.
This shouldn't be cause for panic, though. The ships will be surveying the Mekong to make a new map and update hydrological information on the river. The map will be used by Thailand to settle the Mekong borderline with Laos.
The 141-million-baht project is a joint effort between the Foreign Ministry and the Hydrographic Department. Equipped with the latest technology for hydrology surveys, the vessels were built at a total cost of 85 million baht by Marsun Co, a Thai company, and next month will be transported to the Mekong river.
In preparation for the survey, a 19-member team has been surveying the routes the vessels will traverse since March and will finish its task on Friday.
Department head Kongwat Neelasri said the surveyors were working as fast as they can.
"We don't have much time to do it because of the Mekong river's water levels. In fact, we can operate only in the rainy season or only three months a year, from July to September. And we have only two years to complete the mission," he said.
Water levels in the river are 12 metres lower in the dry season, and that makes it impossible for the vessels to operate.
The survey of the river will be Thailand's third. The first survey in 1964 was done with the support of the United Nations with the riparian countries along the Mekong to explore the river for irrigation purposes. The second survey was done in 1996 and was for energy development purposes.
Vice-Admiral Kongwat said the last survey in 1996 was not done accurately because it lacked some information.
"This time it will be more accurate since we will strictly follow international hydrographic survey standards," he said.
The attempt to survey the Mekong is the result of a recent agreement between Thailand and Laos to complete demarcation of their water borderline by 2010. During the Joint Boundary Commission meeting last year, Thailand and Laos agreed to make a new map of the Mekong at a scale of 1:25,000.
A Foreign Ministry source said the Thai government offered to buy the ships for the survey, and the survey will include finding the exact location of the thalweg of the river, or the deepest continual line. Laos was asked to help the survey team, but Vientiane declined the offer, according to the source. "Laos was not interested in the joint survey with Thailand and thought the borderline in the Mekong has not changed. But the Foreign Ministry wants to prove this. That is the starting point of the survey," said Vice-Admiral Kongwat.
Now the 1926 Siam-Franco Treaty is used as a reference for the Mekong border. But different Thai agencies are working together to verify the relevance of the original map to see whether the borderline has changed and the deepest continual points in the river match with the map.
The treaty Siam and the French signed did not use the thalweg as the borderline. But Thailand wa
nts to use it to make it up to international standards.
Both countries have set up a joint working group to amend the terms of reference for making and surveying the water borderline.
The Mekong forms the border between Thailand and Laos from Chiang Saen to Viengkaen districts in Chiang Rai for 97 kilometres before running into Lao territory.
The river is a borderline again for 855 kilometres from Chiang Khan district in Loei to Nong Khai, Nakhon Phanom and Amnat Charoen to Khong Chiam district in Ubon Ratchathani.
The survey will be separated into three sections starting from Ubon Ratchathani to Nakhon Phanom and covering 400 kilometres, and is expected to be completed this year. Another section, from Nakhon Phanom to Loei and the rest in Chiang Rai, will be done next year.
Vice-Admiral Kongwat said the three ships with five officials each on board will run at the same time using the newest technology and the multi-beam echo sounder system, which will find the thalweg, or deepest continual line.
"The echo sounder system will send signals into the river to measure the depth as well as information on the ground under water," he said. "The information will result in a three-dimensional map," he added.
"Doing it together [with three vessels] will enable them to complete the job in time and they will be able to share facilities, information and provide safety to officials because the vessels need to sail close to the Lao side in some parts. We have asked the navy's Mekong Operation Unit to give us access and sometimes other vessels with weapons aboard will patrol around us," he added.
"We will do it openly and with academic accuracy. We will not do anything to cause any misunderstanding with Laos," he said. To prevent any unexpected incidents, the survey team will inform the governors of Lao provinces along the route of the survey.
"The governors can inform their people and soldiers along the river so they understand our work. We do not intend to violate their sovereignty," said Vice-Admiral Kongwat.
The Hydrographic Department will analyse the data and submit results to the Foreign Ministry by April 2010 to prepare for further talks with Laos.
The results will also be used for water management and administration of the river, to help plan for floods in the rainy season as well as building dams.
Link may expire:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/27Apr2008_news03.php
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