At 14:00 PM on August 16, 2019, the young professionals of the YGL-Water 2019 delivered the presentation of their advisory reports. As one of the major outcomes of this workshop, the trainees of YGL-Water 2019 should submit an advisory report, in which they need to identify the key challenges in water resources management in Lancang-Mekong River Basin and to propose solutions to address these challenges. To be more specific, the trainees of the YGL-Water 2019 were classified into five groups according to the five topics they have chosen, i.e. Hydropower development, Flood Control and Management, Integrated Water Resources Management, Ecosystem and Environmental Management, and the last one, Policy, multi-stakeholders, and international collaboration. Each group should submit one advisory report, in English (for International Students Group) and in Chinese (for Chinese Students Group).

 

After the group presentation, the closing ceremony of the "2019 International Leadership Training Program for Young Professionals in Water Resources Management" was followed. Prof. Chongyu Xu, Prof. Lloyd Townley, Mr. Shuhui Wei, Prof. Congrong Yu, Dr. Xin Li, and Dr. Chong Qiu and Ms. Yandong Jing attended the closing ceremony. Prof. Congrong Yu chaired the closing ceremony.

 

Dr. Xin Li, gave a short summary of the major events of the YGL-Water 2019 program, and he expressed his congratulations for all the trainees who have successfully completed their training through this workshop. The organizer committee and experts presented the “Certificate of Completion” to all the trainees. Also, 5 Excellent Contributors (Ranran He, Xuan Guo, Ellen Birgitte, Tianshan Zeng, Nguyen Ngoc Tu) and 1 best Presenter (Ellen Birgitte) were chosen and awarded certificates and small gifts. The group leaders were also awarded small gifts given the contribution they have made. Then, the representatives of the young scholars shared their feelings and ideas about the workshop. In the end, Prof. Chongyu Xu and Prof. Lloyd Townley congratulated the young scholars on completing the training program and wished they could achieve more in water resources management.

(By Tianshan Zeng, Hong Gao, Xingye Han, Jiaqi Bian, Xiaohua Fu, Xin Li )

On Aug 15, 2019, The YGL-Water 2019 participants visited the National University of Laos (NUL). In the lecture hall, Associate professor Phouphet KYOPHILAVONG, the Vice Dean of Faculty of Economics and Business Management, made a welcome speech to all the participants. Then, Prof. Saykham SITHAVONG, Deputy-Head of Irrigation Department in Faculty of Water Resources (FWR), gave a brief introduction about NUL and FWR. Prof. SITHAVONG also presented some of the projects he has undertaken in the past several years. He highlighted the project of assessing the climate change impact on irrigation for Laos in 2018. The YGL-Water 2019 participants showed great interest and exchanged ideas with the professors.

(By Tianshan Zeng, Hong Gao, Xingye Han, Jiaqi Bian, Xiaohua Fu, Xin Li )

On 14 August, 2019, all participants of the YGL-Water 2019 traveled through the Vientiane Plain to the Nam Ngum-1 Hydropower Plant, which is located around 90KM to the north of Vientiane Capital City.

In the meeting room of the Hydropower Station, Mr. Sisawad Xayyasith, an EDL-GEN staff, gave a video presentation to all the participants to introduce the Nam Ngum-1 Hydropower Plant. He pointed out that the Nam Ngum-1 Hydropower Plant was built on the Nam Ngum River, one of the major rivers in Laos. In the presentation, the 5 development phases, as well as other technical details about the Nam Ngum-1 Hydropower Plan, were introduced. A short Q&A session was arranged after the presentation.

After the video presentation, Mr. Sisawad led the participants to the control room of the Hydropower Plant. Then, all participants walked to the dam to have an all-round view of the Hydropower Plants as well as the Nam Ngum River.

(By Tianshan Zeng, Hong Gao, Xingye Han, Jiaqi Bian, Xiaohua Fu, Xin Li )

In the afternoon of August 13, 2019, a site visit to the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) in Lao PDR was arranged for all the trainees, hosts, and experts. In the meeting room, Mr. Boubteum Sysouphanthavong, Director of Weather Forecasting and Warning Division, gave a brief introduction about Mekong River, the climate characteristic, and the natural disasters in Lao PDR. Also, the DMH’s role, responsibilities, and structure were also introduced. Besides, he presented the current facility and status of hydro-met networks in Laos. At last, he showed the current forecasting and early warning system in Laos and some Lao-China cooperation projects. After the presentation, a short Q&A session was also arranged.

After the site visit at DMH in Laos, all participants visited the Lao National Mekong Committee Secretariat, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Three sessions were arranged. Firstly, Mr. Viengsay SOPHACHANH, Director of Administration Division, introduced the divisions and functions of Lao National Mekong Committee Secretariat. Then, Mr. Somphone Khamphanh, Deputy Director of Monitoring and Evaluation Division, presented some of the functionalities of the Monitoring and Evaluation Division. For the third session, Mr. Aphisath PHANTHALY, a technical staff of the Governance and Cooperation Division, highlighted the Lancang-Mekong cooperation, especially on the Procedures for Notification, Prior Consultation, and some agreements that have been agreed in Mekong Agreement and Procedural Rules 1995. A Q&A session was arranged after each session of the presentation.

(By Tianshan Zeng, Hong Gao, Xingye Han, Jiaqi Bian, Xiaohua Fu, Xin Li )

The 2019 “International Leadership Training Program for Young Professionals in Water Resources Management” invited well-known international experts to give lectures to young professionals who attended this workshop.

Right after the ceremony on Aug 12 at around 10:20 AM, Prof. Chongyu Xu gave the first lecture entitled “Water Resources Management and Hydrological Modeling in a Changing World--Moving from conflict to cooperation”. He discussed the state-of-the art of assessment of available water resources at global, regional and basin scales by using hydrological models under current and changing environment. Then, Dr. Lloyd Richard Townley delivered a speech on “Water Resources Management”. In this talk, Dr. Lloyd stressed the importance of teamwork and negotiations in water resources management.

In the afternoon, Prof. Igansiu Dwi Atmana Sutapa gave a speech on “Ecohydrology as New Tool Strengthen Water Sustainability and Ecosystem Services”. He pointed out that the concept of ecohydrology science is believed to be a solution in dealing with the problems of water resources in the world. After a short break, Dr. Christopher Brian George talked about “The Global Water Community: Opportunities for Scientists and Engineers”. He introduced useful skills needed for the global market and the need for experts in the water sector who think globally.

On August 13, 2019, Dr. Chansaveng BOUNGNONG, Director General at Department of Energy Policy and Planning in Ministry of Energy and Mines of Lao PDR, introduced the Power Development Plan in Lao PDR. He highlighted four measures to reduce surplus energy and utilize energy. He also expressed future research topics, including dynamic stability system analysis, financial analysis of EDL, and issues about system operation for regional interconnection, power export scenario, etc.

After a tea break, Mr. Keomany Luanglith, from Lao National Mekong Committee Secretariat, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Lao PDR, gave a lecture entitled “Water resources management in Lao PDR”. In his presentation, Mr. Keomany pointed out that the comprehensive development and utilization of water resources plays a significant role in Laos' national development. Also, Mr. Luanglith made a brief introduction about water resources in Lao PDR and its achievements and challenges in integrated water resources management. The experience in flood control and management in Laos was also shared.

(By Tianshan Zeng, Hong Gao, Xingye Han, Jiaqi Bian, Xiaohua Fu, Xin Li )

The opening ceremony of the 2019 "International Leadership Training Program for Young Professionals in Water Resources Management" (YGL-Water 2019) was hold at Landmark Riverside Hotel at Vientiane, Laos on Aug 12, 2019. This training program is hosted by the College of Hydrology and Water Resources of Hohai University and supported by UNESCO-IHP International Research and Training Center on Hydrology, Water Resources and Water Management, and IAHR-Hohai University-WWF International Research Center for River and Lake Conservation, Restoration and Management.

Firstly, Professor Ke Zhang gave a welcome speech on behalf of Professor Weiya Xu, Vice President of Hohai University, and introduced the 2019 YGL-Water Program.

Then, Mr. Chanthanet BOUALAPHA, Secretary General of Lao National Mekong committee Secretariat in Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, made the welcome speech. He expressed his warmest welcome to the young professionals who attend this workshop in Vientiane, and he wished a great success of this training program.

Mr. Chansaveng BOUN-NGONG, Director General at department of Energy Policy and Planning in Ministry of Energy and Mines of Lao PDR, delivered his welcome speech and gave a brief introduction about Lao power production systems.

In the end, Mr. Shahbaz Khan, Director and Representative of UNESCO Office at Jakarta Regional Science Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, gave the welcome speech in representative of the UNESCO by video.

Prof. Chong-Yu Xu from University of Oslo, Norway, Prof. Ignasius D.A. Sutapa from Indonesian Institute of Science, Chairman of UNESCO Regional Steering Committee (RSE) of IHP for Asia Pacific Region, Dr. Christopher George, the Chief International Consultant for Hohai University, and Dr. Lloyd Townley, a well-known international expert on water resources management, attended the opening ceremony, and gave lectures to the Young Professionals after the ceremony.

Fifty young professionals from more than 10 countries, including China, Spain, Norway, Brazil, Peru, Laos, Israel, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Cameroon, will join a 7-day workshop. The opening ceremony was chaired by professor Ke Zhang, Deputy Director of International Office of Hohai University.

(By Tianshan Zeng, Hong Gao, Xingye Han, Jiaqi Bian, Xiaohua Fu, Xin Li )