mekong inland fisheries under threat: is there water for fish? · 2018-08-28 · flood...
TRANSCRIPT
THE MEKONG
Importance of inland fishery- 60-75% of LMB protein vs 16% global- GDP- Livelihoods
Holtgrieve and Allison
(in prep)
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REPLACING FISH
PROTEIN
INFEASIBLE
Taken from Orr et al. 2012
Flood heterogeneity drives diversity and production in the Mekong
0 50 10025Kms
0 50 10025Kms
Regional Scale Flow variability modeling
Climate and developmentExpected 54% reduction in fish catch
Fishery is threatened
CLIMATE
CHALLENGEIncreasing intensity and frequency of droughts
Droughts will be less predictable, more intense, more extreme and more frequent
Timing changes that effect fish migration
Reproduced from Thilakarathne and Sridhar, 2017
DEVELOPMENT
CHALLENGESDams
Agriculture
Dredging
Map source: Mekong FlowsData source: MRC databases
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IMPACTS OF RAPID DEVELOPMENT
• Barriers
• Sediment transport
• Mortality
• Nutrient loss
• Flow regime
• Access to habitats
• Migration cues
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WATER CHALLENGES• Irrigation
• Dyking
Balancing needs for food, energy and water
INTERVENTIONS
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BETTER HYDROPOWER PLANNING
Reproduced from TNC Hydropower by design
INTERVENTIONSWater FOR fish!
Reproduced from Sabo et al. 2017
Designer Flows: Sabo et al. 2017
Solutions for impacts of dams?
Mitigation – e.g. Fish passes
Identify key sites to avoid
Engage with developers
Accept solutions not suitable for all species
Downstream remains a challenge.
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Consider alternative renewable energy options
Accept hydropower as part of the solution
INTERVENTIONS
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Rice-field fisheries
Dykes low
Reduce harmful pesticide and fertilizer use
INTERVENTIONS
INTERVENTIONSUnderstand the issues
Identify trade-offs
Effective communication is key!
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CONCLUSIONS
• Water for fish - Food security
• Water for hydropower - Energy needs
• Water for agriculture, drinking and sanitation
CONCLUSIONS
Balancing water, energy and food needs
We can have fish and eat it too!
Water FOR fish!
(and energy, and agriculture and drinking)
Acknowledgements• Colleagues and collaborators• John D and Catherine T.
MacArthur Foundation• Margaret A. Cargill Foundation• Inland Fisheries Research and
Development Institute (IFReDI)• Mekong River Commission
(MRC)
THANK YOU
QUESTIONS?