The impacts of hydropower and mining on water quality: an example from the Nam Ngum catchment, Lao PDR

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cg.contributor.crpWater, Land and Ecosystemsen_US
cg.coverage.countryLaosen_US
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2LAen_US
cg.coverage.regionSouth-eastern Asiaen_US
cg.placeVientiane, Laoen_US
cg.subject.wleIMPACT ASSESSMENTen_US
cg.subject.wleWATER QUALITYen_US
dc.contributor.authorKallio, M.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2018-08-29T08:23:31Zen_US
dc.date.available2018-08-29T08:23:31Zen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/96989en_US
dc.titleThe impacts of hydropower and mining on water quality: an example from the Nam Ngum catchment, Lao PDRen_US
dcterms.abstractWater quality can be thought of as a measure of the suitability of water for a particular use based on selected physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. The water quality of rivers and lakes changes with the seasons and geographic areas. There is no single measure that constitutes ‘good’ water quality. For example, water suitable for drinking can be used for irrigation, but water used for irrigation may not be suitable for drinking. Typically, water quality is measured against standards for particular uses. Thus, water for drinking needs to be of very high quality, but water used for transport does not need to be of high quality at all. Very poor quality water can be highly toxic to life. Water of this kind may be contaminated with chemicals, pollution and/or pathogens, rendering it poisonous to fish and other aquatic organisms; trees and other vegetation along river banks; and to humans who may come into contact with it or consume it. Industrial waste and sewerage and common sources of water contamination. Because all life depends on water, its quality is therefore essential to sustaining it. Water quality is closely linked to the surrounding environment and land use. Unless it is in vapour form, water is never ‘pure’, and is affected by community uses such as agriculture, urban and industrial use, and recreation. The modification of natural stream flows by dams and weirs can also affect water quality. The weather, too, can have a major impact. The water quality of rivers is generally best in the headwaters, where rainfall is often plentiful. As they travel into lowland areas, however, they encounter areas of high human activity, and quality typically deteriorates. Rivers frequently act as conduits for pollutants by collecting and carrying wastewater from catchments to the ocean. Storm water can also carry heavy loads of nutrients, organic matter and pollutants into streams, rivers, lake, and, eventually, the ocean. Evaluating water quality typically focuses on the following indicators: • Biological: bacteria, algae. • Physical: temperature, turbidity and clarity, colour, salinity, suspended and dissolved solids. • Chemical: pH, dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, nutrients (including nitrogen and phosphorus), organic and inorganic compounds (including toxins). • Aesthetic: odours, taints, colour, and floating matter. • Radioactive: alpha, beta and gamma radiation emitters. Clearly, if the quality of water is too poor to sustain life, then it is a major problem. Water resources are of major environmental, social and economic value everyone, and if water quality becomes degraded this resource will lose its value. Water quality is important not only to protect public health: water provides ecosystem habitats, is used for farming, fishing and mining, and contributes to recreation and tourism. If water quality cannot be maintained, then the uses for which we need it cannot be met.en_US
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Accessen_US
dcterms.bibliographicCitationKallio, M. 2018. The impacts of Hydropower and Mining on Water Quality: an example from the Nam Ngum Catchment, Lao PDR. Water Knowledge #2. Vientiane, Lao PDR, CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems.en_US
dcterms.extent9p.en_US
dcterms.issued2018-08en_US
dcterms.languageenen_US
dcterms.publisherCGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystemsen_US
dcterms.typeBriefen_US

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