Mekong needs earlier flood warnings

Mekong needs earlier flood warnings (18-05-2007) by Le Hung Vong Students at Primary School B in Phu Loc Commune, Tan Chau District, An Giang Province. The school is a safe haven in case of mass flooding during the rainy season. — VNA/VNS Photo Hoang Hai HCM CITY — Better and more timely data is needed for residents in the Mekong Basin to minimise damage caused by floods, according to speakers at the 5th annual Mekong Flood Forum in HCM City yesterday. CEO of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Secretariat, Dr. Olivier Cogels, said people were still dying in floods every year due to inefficient early warning and flood forecasting systems. Cogels emphasised the urgent need to improve the quality and timely exchange of flood information to save human life, but also to protect property, agricultural land and livestock. “Much of this (damage and loss of life) could have been avoided with suitable forecasting activities and flood preparedness,” said Dr. Cogels. “And that requires a much improved system of data exchange and collation.” Dr. Cogels said changes in land-use brought with them the potential of more of the basin being vulnerable to flood damage. “Our member countries have established or are establishing a range of action plans to enable them to cope with these changes but they need assistance from us to provide them with expertise and information that they need to plan new settlement areas or at least to identify which areas may be problem areas,” said Cogels. The forum,…