Information Services
MRC provides a range of data and information services to acquire and deliver time-series data, spatial data and non-spatial data, which support the MRC core functions, Member Countries, and other stakeholders.
Information services may be delivered in realtime, or near-realtime, such as the Water Level Monitoring; other information services involve annual or as-available updates, such the Water Quality Monitoring or Fisheries Information, respectively.
Water Level Monitoring
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MRC provides a realtime water level monitoring service with maps show the location and the status of various hydrological stations. For each station, information is available on the observed and forecasted water levels, as well as yearly observations. This information is supplied as a service to the governments of the MRC Member Countries so that it may be used as a tool within existing national disaster forecast and warning systems. Other organisations and individuals wishing to receive this information directly from the MRC Secretariat should contact the Regional Flood Management and Mitigation Centre. |
Fisheries Information in the Lower Mekong Basin
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Nine databases related to catch assessment and five databases related to migration and spawning are maintained by MRC and available on the Fisheries Information CD-ROMs (versions 1 to 3). Each database has its own manual and/or data dictionary. The CD-ROMs also include a vast range of information produced by MRC's Fisheries Programme and its counterparts including technical papers, features, photographs and in-depth reports produced over the past 10 years. The fisheries databases are stored and documented with metadata in the MRC Master Catalogue. The Fisheries Information CD-ROM and Fish Migration Database are available via the Master Catalogue. |
Water Quality Monitoring
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In 1985 MRC began a water quality monitoring programme in Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam. Cambodia joined the programme in 1993. The current Water Quality Monitoring Network includes water quality monitoring at 48 permanent monitoring stations; of which 11 are in Lao PDR, 8 in Thailand, 19 in Cambodia and 10 in Viet Nam. Samples of surface water are taken from the river mid-stream every two months, i.e. six times a year starting from February. Member Countries may increase the sampling frequency, but this is not more 12 times a year. Water quality analysis is conducted in designated laboratories. A Water Quality Index has been designed based on a set of key water quality parameters along with a Mekong River Report Card on Water Quality. An Interactive Map and Water Quality Reports are available: The Water Quality Monitoring Database is available in the MRC Master Catalogue. |
Hydro-meteorology
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MRC Member Countries have collected hydro-meteorology data (including water levels, precipiation, and temperture) at monitoring stations for several decades and a large amount of historical data is available. Comprehensive quality assurance has been undertaken on the historical data, and the quality assured Time Series Data are now available through the MRC Master Catalogue. Each hydrometeorology parameter is part of a Data Series, and quality assurance statistics and summaries are provided. The Hydro Meteorological Database is also available in the MRC Master Catalogue. MRC has recently supported the establishment of X realtime HYCOS monitoring stations in the Member Countries to support flood forecasting. The realtime data are available from a dedicated website and also incorporated into MRC's water level monitoirng and flood forecasting. The MRC Realtime Hydro-meteorology Monitoring website will be live for the 2011 flood season. |
Hydro Power Database
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The Lower Mekong Hydropower database is developed and maintained to support MRC's hydropower sector review and formulating and assessing basin-wide development scenarios in the LMB. The database contains: i) general data, ii) characteristic data, iii) opertation data, iv) hydrology data, v)impact data and vi) cost data. The Lower Mekong Hydro Power Database is available in the MRC Master Catalogue. |
Irrigation
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The database contains information on the 14,895 existing and planned irrigation projects in the Lower Mekong Basin., including: (i) Irrigated area by season, cropping patterns, types of headwork, irrigation system, water source etc. (ii) Datasets for BDP scenario analysis in 2009. (iii) Inputs and results of irrigation water use assessment in 2004 for 12,763 irrigation projects. Irrigated area by season, cropping patterns, fishpond area, monthly rainfall, ET, water use efficinecy factors, water requirement, total/net diviersion water use etc. Geospatial information is also provided. The MRC Irrigation Database is available in the MRC Master Catalogue.. |
Biomonitoring
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Biomonitoring covers eight sites examined within each country. Three types of biometric indicators of the health of the Mekong aquatic ecosystem are calculated for each of four groups of organisms: benthic diatoms, zooplankton, littoral macroinvertebrates and benthic macroinvertebrates. The Biomonitoring Database is available in the MRC Master Catalogue. Biomonitoring reports are available in the MRC Main Website Publications and the Master Catalogur, including
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Geo Spatial Information
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The MRC Geospatial information contains datasets of Lower Mekong Basin boundary, which are available in shape files.
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Virtual Mekong Basin
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The University of Washington is collaborating with the MRC to analyse a suite of issues confronting the Mekong basin, specifically information challenges related to the management and analysis of complex data and conveying the results to (non-technical) Decision Makers and a general public. The Virtual Mekong Basin" (VMB) project aims to incorporate more sophisticated information management systems, from data acquisition, distribution, and visualization into a "cyber-infrastructure", where basin attributes are examined and summarized digitally and then visually. Open Virtual Mekong Basin website at University of Washington |