CCOP-KIGAM-UNESCO 2021 GW Project: Kick-off meeting for monitoring well site selection

Project Title: ‘Vulnerability assessment to climate change of groundwater system in Greater Mekong Subregion and comparative study of groundwater dependent Ecosystem’ (2020-2022)

On 13 January 2021, 13:30 - 14:30 (Bangkok Time) via Zoom Application, CCOP-KIGAM-UNESCO 2021 GW Project Kick-off meeting for monitoring well site selection was conducted online. Participated by Dr Yongcheol KIM, Leader of Groundwater Research Center, Dr Eunhee LEE, Senior Research Scientist, Dr Seongkyun KIM from KIGAM, Dr. Hans Dencker Thulstrup, Representative of UNESCO-Jakarta to CCOP, Senior Programme Specialist, Water and Environmental Sciences, UNESCO Regional Science Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, and CCOP TS Director, Dr Young Joo LEE and team.

KIGAM –funding, technical advice for GW monitoring device installation and system, provide training course for data analysis and system operation, and established GW monitoring network to CCOP, UNESCO and Member Countries.  

Dr Eunhee Lee, KIGAM gave an introduction and presented the project overview, Background & Objectives

1. A number of 5 to 10 GMS will be installed along the Mekong River (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam), to collect GW data set and open-access database (DB) portal.  
2. Goals in 2021: the project team will start the installation of the groundwater monitoring network in GMS. In 2022, the team will continue its work on the installation of the groundwater monitoring network and operate on the automatic data transmission system
3. Once the data-sharing portal is completed, be operated by CCOP depending on the negotiation with the partner agencies. GW experts from KIGAM will support commissioning and training for system operation during the final step of the project.

CCOP –overall coordination, site recommendation and arrangement for well installation/ coordination with local government among MCs, Operation & management of monitoring network, and establishment of web-based portal

UNESCO- Dr Hans will discuss with UNESCO’s partner and team about project type, framework that can be linked with GW Adaptation fund

Expected Outputs & Outcomes – GMS Network, monitoring sites & data-sharing portal, national & regional GW experts.

On 19 February 2021, 13:00-14:00 (Bangkok Time), CCOP-KIGAM-UNESCO 2021 GW Project on Well Installation in Cambodia Meeting was conducted online via Zoom Application. The meeting was attended by Dr Eunhee LEE, Senior Research Scientist (KIGAM), Dr Kong Sitha, Director and Mr. Sambo Heng, Geologist from Geological Department, Ministry of Mines, Cambodia and Dr Dhiti Tulyatid, Regional Expert, CCOP TS and the TS team. The aim of this meeting was to review, discuss and finalize the selection of well installation sites in Cambodia. Dr Eunhee LEE, Senior Research Scientist, KIGAM gave briefly introduction of project, review and response to Cambodia’s well recommendation. Dr Kong Sitha and team will finalize two sites selection and revise well specification and quotation by early March 2021. Dr Eunhee LEE will provide information on the infrastructure requirements of the automated data transmission of the well-monitoring system. The meeting agreed to target well installations in Cambodia in June 2021, before the rainy season starts.

On 17 March 2021, 13:00-14:00 (Bangkok Time), CCOP-KIGAM-UNESCO 2021 GW Project on Well Installation in Vietnam Meeting was conducted online via Zoom Application. The meeting was attended by Dr Eunhee LEE, Senior Research Scientist (KIGAM), Mr Hoang Van Hoan, Senior Hydrogeologist, Department of Groundwater Resources Fundamental Investigation, National Center for Water Resources Planning and Investigation, Vietnam and Dr Dhiti Tulyatid, Regional Expert, CCOP TS and the TS team. The aim of this meeting was to review, discuss and finalize selection of well installation sites in Vietnam. Dr Eunhee Lee, KIGAM gave a brief introduction and review & Question about Vietnam well sites and appreciated the continuous support of Vietnam on CCOP-KIGAM GW Project for TBA monitoring and well installation based on the recommendation given by the Vietnam partner.

In 2021, the project team plan to install one monitoring well in Vietnam. In 2022, deployment for automatic groundwater monitoring and a wireless data transmission system will be carried out at the installed well. Due to the current pandemic situation of COVID-19 and quarantine regulation that may affect to the working period if KIGAM team travels to install the monitoring system in Vietnam.  Mr Hoan proposed to utilize the existing wells and will also provide information and detail of the existing 3 to 5 wells.  In case of selected the existing well, the meeting agreed to target automatic monitoring well system installations in Vietnam during 2021 depending on the pandemic situation.