MRC installs Mekong channel markers
Vientiane Times, By Somsack Pongkhao
(Latest Update April 21, 2009)
Navigation on the Mekong River between Vientiane and Luang Prabang province will be easier following the Mekong River Commission's (MRC) installation of channel markers.
Chief Technical Adviser of the MRC's Navigation Programme, Mr Lieven Geerinck, said the channel markers aimed to increase safety, reduce accidents, save lives and promote trade.
The river is used mostly for the transport of cargo and passengers. In the future there will also be more cruise and tourist boats. These markers will show the boats where they should navigate, he said.
Presently the river is very dangerous to navigate. With changes in sedimentation, river depth, water flow and seasonal variations, river boat captains must steer very carefully. One false move in the choppy water could lead to disaster.
This is the first phase of the project, with installation beginning in early April and set for completion in June.
Mr Geerinck said there were 12 areas that were treacherous for navigation in this 400 km stretch of river.
The MRC will also train captains to use the channel markers. Speed boats will be used to survey dangerous waters. They will help moor buoys and beacons to mark navigation channels on the river.
Mr Geerinck said he was concerned about the low water levels in the Mekong as in the dry season there was not enough water. In some areas, there was only 1.5 m of water, which made the river impossible for larger vessels to navigate.
The lower level of the Mekong is determined by the hydrology of the river, and is mainly affected by rainfall, he said. He believes dam construction in China is not causing lower water levels at present, but cautioned that any acceleration in dam construction may have an impact in the future.
The Mekong is a vital trade link between Luang Prabang and Vientiane , with dozens of tonnes of cargo and hundreds of people being transported by river every day.
Many people on the river are several kilometres away from any roads, so river transport plays an important part in their day-to-day lives.
According to Vientiane 's Sikhottabong district office, there are 15 northbound speed boats and seven larger northbound vessels departing the district, which can carry more than 100 people.
Mr Geerinck was confident that a properly marked navigation channel in the most dangerous parts of the river would make Mekong travel less precarious. In the long term, this would make use of the river more efficient and help boost trade.
The unpredictable formation of shallow patches, spots with high velocity currents, decreased depth in low-water periods and reduced width restrictions due to rocky outcrops are a constant danger to shipping and have caused a number of accidents |
