Mekong River Commission and China boost water data exchange

Vientiane, Lao PDR, 30 August 2013—The People’s Republic of China has agreed to share more hydrological data with the cruises Mekong River Commission which will improve flood forecasting in the Lower Mekong countries.

For the last 10 years during the four months of the flood season, China has shared with the MRC its water-level and rainfall data from its two hydro-meteorological stations located on the Lancang/Mekong mainstream at Yunjinghong, and on a tributary at Manan.

The near real-time data provided by China has enabled the MRC Member Countries in the Lower Mekong — Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam — to strengthen their river water-level monitoring and improve the accuracy of flood forecasting as well as mitigate the negative effects of flooding.

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As China renewed its data sharing cooperation with the MRC this month, the upper Mekong country agreed to extend the period of hydrological data sharing and increase the frequency of the information exchange. Under the previous agreement, China had shared its hydrological data from June 15th to October 15th every year. From now on, China will extend the hydrological data provision by 30 days, starting on June 1st until October 31st, every year.

China also agrees to increase the frequency of the data sharing from once a day to twice a day.

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“This new agreement is another milestone of the MRC’s cooperation with China. It not only demonstrates the importance of enhanced information-sharing between China and the Mekong Countries, but also their commitment to continue and increase cooperation”, said Mr. Hans Guttman, the Chief Executive Officer of the MRC Secretariat.

“The availability of more information will enable the MRC to better undertake its role of providing objective and scientific analyses of flood and drought events and improve understanding of the Mekong River Basin. The MRC will build on the success of this greater cooperation in enhancing further engagement with China,” added Mr. Guttman.

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The MRC and China signed an agreement on the data sharing in 2002 and renewed it in 2008. Since then, China has provided data of precipitation and water levels collected from the two monitoring stations.

During 2010, the region was hit by a severe drought due to extreme low rainfall in the dry season and a particularly early end to the wet season in 2009. China was able to provide the MRC with hydrological data for emergency use. China has expressed its willingness to share the data during the dry season should similar emergency conditions occur.

“As dialogue partner of MRC, China attaches great importance to the dialogue partnership with MRC and is willing to deepen the substantive cooperation with MRC and its member countries in the areas of hydrological data sharing, hydropower development, flood management and disaster mitigation, environmental protection and personnel exchanges under the principle of friendly consultations and mutual benefit, ” said Mr. Zhang Yue, the Minister-Counsellor and Permanent Representative of China to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

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In addition to flood forecasting and mitigation, the data has also been used in other areas of the MRC’s work including basin development planning, environmental monitoring and hydropower development planning.

The MRC and China cooperate in several areas including navigation, water resources, and hydropower development, through activities such as knowledge and information exchange and technological and technical exchanges.

Notes to editor:

The MRC is the inter-governmental body responsible for cooperation on the sustainable management of the Mekong Basin whose members include Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam. The Commission looks across all sectors including sustaining fisheries, identifying opportunities for agriculture, maintaining freedom of navigation, flood management and preserving important ecosystems.

In 1996 the MRC held its first Dialogue Meeting with its Dialogue Partners, China and Myanmar.

On 1 April 2002, the People’s Republic of China signed an agreement on the provision of hydrological information on the Lancang/Mekong River. Under this agreement China now provides water-level data in the flood season from two stations located on the Lancang River in China. This information is fed into the MRC’s flood forecasting system. China contributes 13.5 per cent of the flow of the Mekong River.

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Mekong River Commission and China boost water data exchange

Would Cruising Halong Be The Fun Thing To Do?

By being on Halong cruises, you and your dearests would enjoy the most spectacular sites and landscapes of the new world’s wonder cruises Halong Bay. Leave your busy daily life and those boring road trips behind. Take a cruise tour in Halong for the unforgetable memories, all you have to do is to relax and enjoy the breeze of beautiful Halong bay tours and be pampered by the luxurious sevices offered by our Halong bay cruise lines.

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Activities on board

There are all the fun activities that one can do on board Halong bay cruises like fine dining, luxurious spa, exercising Taiji, sunbathing on the top deck, or just simply spend the sweetest moments at your very private balcony. The destination of the cruises is also one of the attractions of  . Cruises stop at different post of call depending on the itinerary of the travel, that is something that you would see before going on board. A passenger can stay on board during this stop or explore each destination with kayaking or swimming as long as they are in schedule with the cruises’ departure.

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Our Halong Cruises List

We have 27 cruises divided into 3 categories: Private, Luxury and Deluxe cruises. Please check out our listings to find the one Halong paradise cruise that fits you most.

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Would Cruising Halong Be The Fun Thing To Do?

Ride in Halong Paradise cruises Using Kettuvellams in Kerala

The ideal and most appropriate way to discover and take pleasure in the serenity of character in Kerala’s backwater is the standard houseboats named “Ketuvalloms” discovered in Kerala. It aids the tourists to have comprehensive glimpse of rural daily life and have the panoramic check out of mother nature intently.

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Really these routes of backwaters was utilised for all transportation requirements and the wood houseboats had been employed for buying and selling rice, coconuts and many others lengthy back from hundreds of years. But with time these houseboats started out to appeal to tourists for vacation excursions and became obtainable in all budgets from typical to the luxury one particular.

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Houseboats Kerala are of different shapes and sizes available in basic to royal styles which can be employed by anybody in accordance to their wants. With the purpose of giving complete luxurious of house surroundings to the travelers the houseboats are converted into floating resorts obtaining cozy bedrooms, present day bathrooms of diverse varieties, dining space the place people can flavor the mouth watering flavors of Kerala.

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These boats go all day by means of the attractiveness of backwaters except the time when foods is served and also when night descends. It has been normally located that the boatman of “Kettuvallom” to be singing the well-known folks songs of Kerala even though rowing. Whilst getting the journey of these houseboats one feels dropped in the paradise of character getting most intimate time of daily life amidst of greenery. The backwaters cover the villages which are also the main buying and selling facilities like Allapuzha, Kuttand, Kumarakom, Kasargod, and many others.

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Kumarakom in Kottayam district is the ideal and perfect vacation destination of Kerala. It is a village advanced from several modest islands stands by the bay of Vembanadkayal. In the course of the tours houseboats Kumarakom 1 can have the scenic see of the paddy fields, the mangrove and coconut trees and also other all-natural heritage of Kerala, and not only these 1 can also check out the exotic beauty of historic pleasures of Kottayam. It has been noticed that far more than the “Kettuvallam” trip the vacationers are attracted towards the resorts obtainable in Kottayam where vacationer can take pleasure in ayurvedic massage, elegance treatment options, and other luxurious facilities like a 5 star resort.

Well it can be stated that Kerala’s backwaters is one particular of the holiday getaway place in which one particular can truly chill out out the tensions of lifestyle and can get pleasure from the exotic and intimate beauty of character via the rides of the houseboats.

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Although backwater locations of Kerala can not be explored or loved in correct perception without having touring by the houseboats usually known as “Kettuvallams”. It has its very own allure which helps make excursions in the backwaters much more romantic and enjoyable. When the boats sails by the stunning seashores, the travelers are ready to have the panoramic view of the mother nature in its beautiful elegance. The tourist s discover the character all day lengthy by lying on the deck or by standing in the balcony of the boat. They observe the regional individuals active in their everyday and rustic schedule lifestyle of fishing and farming, they mesmerizes the picturesque see of greenery all all around with coconut, palm and mangrove trees and they pleasantly escape to the refreshing atmosphere of backwaters. These houseboats are manufactured with the purpose of offering total convenience to the travelers with contemporary bedrooms and bathrooms and even provide good meals where tourist examination dishes of kerelan taste. Not only this Kerala backwater cruises are seem offering luxurious amenities like spa, sauna, massage, and so on to seize the heart of the vacationers.

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Individuals can undoubtedly program a nice loved ones cruise getaway in Kerala in order to make their getaway most memorable and great. Now-a-times it has turn into quite easy to pay a visit to this kind of wonderful holiday spot due to the fact there are many sorts of tour packages offered during India.

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Ride in Halong Paradise cruises Using Kettuvellams in Kerala

Top Mekong River Cruises

Mekong River cruises are becoming ever far more popular as folks want anything different. The river cruise delivers the obvious edge that you will often be able to see land and the lack of the rocking movement that causes sea sickness.

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Numerous river cruise destinations are kinds that the regular vacationer would normally have no way of visiting.

Numerous organizations offer you cruises mekong river but they can’t just use the normal cruise ships. A river cruise typically delivers a scaled-down ship and more personal environment.

River Nile cruise

The river Nile is possibly the most well-known river in the world. From this river you can check out the treasures of Egypt from pyramids to the regional riches. You will generally sign up for the river Nile cruise at a massive city location these kinds of as Luxor or Aswan. From here you will cruise down the Nile getting in the web sites, sounds and smells of Egypt. There will be numerous stops as you cruise down the Nile and a lot to see from the Valley of the Kings to the Aswan High Dam, and the temple of Philae.

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River Yangtze

The river Yangtze in china will consider you by way of some of this magical and intriguing land. You will vacation from the contemporary china into the countryside the place the locals still have classic beliefs and practices. You will very likely go to cities this kind of as Beijing, Xi’an and Tibet. The only way to see china is by the river Yangtze.

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 Mekong River cruise

The Mekong River cruises meanders via South East Asia and provides a intriguing incite into this incredible land. The cruises Mekong River rises in the mountains of Tibet, flows through SW China and Burma, marks the border in between Thailand and Laos, and meanders via Cambodia and Vietnam. Some of the surroundings and sights together the cruises on mekong river are actually breathe using and unbelievable.

Sydney harbour

Sydney harbour is a scene that anyone can picture in their mind. The mekong river tours close to Sydney harbour gives some of the greatest views of the harbour, the bridge and the opera house. The ships used to tour around the harbour area are generally modest, featuring perhaps sixty cabins, all with air conditioning and embellished to a very high standard. Due to the fact of its proximity to the shore the ship is much more like a floating lodge with a likelihood of a shore tour practically each time you like!

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A river tour is some thing slightly diverse to your average sea certain cruise and a river cruise may be just what you are looking for. The cruise typically delivers locations that cannot be arrived at by other indicates.

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Top Mekong River Cruises

Vietnam Tours: The Wonders of Halong Bay

With its mix of tradition and modernity, of experience and hospitality, Vietnam is a place that continues to be prolonged in visitors’ hearts. With so numerous sights and activities to be experienced, it can be tough to slender down the choices of what to see. The very best Vietnam excursions are made with just this selection in head, to offer you the traveller a sense of the normal and cultural variety. A single attraction that must in no way be remaining off the list is Halong Bay, a jewel of a all-natural surprise, with plenty to uncover – study on for a style of this tantalising landscape.

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Halong Bay: An Overview

That means, practically, ‘Descending Dragon Bay,’ Halong Bay is a UNESCO Planet Heritage Site, situated in Quang Ninh province. Its enchanting beauty is lent by the hundreds of spectacular rocks and islands, shaped from limestone, that rise from its tranquil turquoise waters. Above five hundred million several years of gradual modify in evolving environments has resulted in formations not like any other people, and also contributed to an astounding degree of geodiversity and biodiversity relative to the dimensions of the spot.

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With over 70 endemic species of flora and fauna, interesting geological phenomena, and traces of ancient human civilisation, it is no wonder Halong Bay is this sort of a treasured component of Vietnam excursions.

Checking out the Caves

A single of the most pleasant functions of Halong Bay is the caves that can be explored within a lot of of the even bigger islands, each with their own distinct character. Dau Go Island is well-known to check out while on Vietnam tours for its three chambered grotto, illuminated with vibrant lights and crammed with stalagmites and stalactites making fabulous styles, some of them extending in excess of 20 metres. Hung Sung Sot Cave, on Bo Hon Island, is recognized for its rock formations that appear like sentries, and one more explained to depict a standard.

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On the very same island, Virgin Cave includes a shrine committed to a lovely woman that legend claims is buried there, although Pelican Cave has some of the most amazing stalactites in the bay. Some caves can only be frequented by boat, introducing to the feeling of adventure that permeates Halong Bay.

Cat Ba Countrywide Park

An additional popular portion of Halong Bay to see on Vietnam excursions, Cat Ba Island is well value the pay a visit to. Even though parts of the island now keep all the common functions of vacationer destinations, the national park is a preserved pocket of gorgeous natural elegance, perfect for discovering on foot.

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It is a very good place to see some of Halong Bay’s a lot of endemic species, like the Cat Ba langur, although the nearby fishing villages offer you the opportunity to see the traditional business of the bay and style some of the mouth-watering nearby seafood.

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Vietnam Tours: The Wonders of Halong Bay

A Life Along the Mekong

Scott Sanderson is a veteran white-water kayaker who has logged four first descents cruises on Mekong River tributaries and tackled the Class IV rapids that form as the river tumbles from the Tibetan plateau. But it wasn’t until he embarked on a laid-back, outfitted float through Laos that Sanderson beheld the Mekong’s most sacred rites. “We pulled into a village and the headman invited us to join a funeral ceremony,” says Sanderson, 47, a technical writer from Oaklyn, New Jersey. “It was a big party—like a wake. Everywhere we went on the river it seemed they were either giving birth or burying someone. You really got a sense of the ebb and flow of life.”

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Stretching roughly 2,600 miles (4,184 kilometers) from Tibet to the South China Sea, the sinuous Mekong is the thread that connects Indochina’s diverse cultures. It flows through six nations—China, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam—and with more than 1,200, it has the third highest diversity of fish species in the world (only the Amazon and the Congo have more). For the past 800 years, explorers from Kublai Khan to Frenchman Francis Garnier have sought to conquer the river and the region that surrounds it, sending warrior hordes south toward Cambodia’s Angkor Wat or dispatching parties in dugout canoes north from Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City). These early expeditions survived tigers, leeches, and quicksand, but never completely penetrated the Mekong Basin or reached the river’s source, in Tibet.

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With travel restrictions easing and British and American expatriates establishing new adventure travel companies, more of the Mekong has opened up to travelers over the past ten years than during centuries of exploration. Remote stretches of the river in Laos as well as jagged peaks edging the river in China are now destinations for outfitted trips—inflatable-kayak tours of isolated villages, mountain bike excursions through the surrounding countryside, and 4WD expeditions near the river’s headwaters. From source to mouth, many of the communities along the Mekong continue to live as they have for hundreds of years. Using the river as your guide is the best way to witness these cultures in their most intact form.

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But there is a more urgent reason to visit the Mekong now: Life along the river is set to change rapidly. The Chinese view the Mekong as a vital energy source and have recently constructed two immense dams on its upper reaches. Dozens of other projects are under consideration. “China is impervious to pleas from Southeast Asia,” says Steve Van Beek, a Peace Corps veteran who has lived in the region for 40 years and now guides kayaking trips on the Mekong. “These dams are in an earthquake zone; the possibility of a wall of water coming downriver isn’t lost on Laos and Thailand.

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On a recent trip led by Van Beek, New York City–based psychotherapist Alan Bernstein, 65, and his wife, Anne Lesch, 55, spent the night in a roadless Laotian village that they reached after a day of paddling. “We slept on the floor of a family’s bamboo hut,” Bernstein recalls. “And when the family asked what we’d like for dinner, we said, ‘Duck?’ The next thing we knew, a boy arrived on a bike with a live duck under each arm. Talk about getting to know your dinner.”

Mekong pros such as Van Beek and Sanderson suggest packing light, allowing several days to acclimate in Bangkok before embarking on your river adventure, and eating what the locals eat: fish with sticky rice; just slaughtered pig, duck, or—if you’re bold—dog. Also, don’t miss the Laotian Pakxong coffee, a potent variety considered one of the world’s finest.

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A Life Along the Mekong

Explore the stunningly scenic and culturally distinctive lands that lie along the remarkable Mekong River cruises

Explore the stunningly scenic and culturally distinctive lands that lie along the remarkable Mekong River cruises. On this 3-day cruisetour, discover two countries, two cultures and two ways of life linked by Indochina’s most important river—from Vietnam’s bustling cities to the tranquility of Cambodia. Encounter ancient Khmer monuments at Angkor Wat and the elegant French colonial capital of Phnom Penh in Cambodia; and in Vietnam, visit the floating markets of the Mekong delta tours, experience the intimate charm of Hanoi’s old city and tour dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. Here you will find gracious hosts and some of the finest cuisine in the world, while enjoying the natural beauty and rich history just beyond the banks of the magnificent cruises Mekong river.

Day 1 Kampong Thom & Kampong Cham

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After breakfast, visit a local village supported by Mekong River Cruises and spend time with children at one of the village schools. Check out of your Siem Reap hotel and begin your coach tour through the Cambodian countryside which brings you to your ship in Kampong Cham, via the provincial capital of Kampong Thom. Due to its central location, this area is rapidly becoming an important hub for fishing and agriculture; it also has a rich archeological heritage, to which the 200 temples—some of which predate the Khmer empire—attest. This afternoon, board your ship; after you get settled in, meet the ship’s officers over a welcome cocktail.

Day 2 Kampong Cham

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This morning visit the twin holy mountains of Phnom Pros and Phnom Srey with their many temples and pagodas, still used during traditional Khmer festivals. After visit an orphanage in Kampong Cham, whose students create beautiful paintings that are available to purchase. This afternoon the ship will set sail towards a silk weaving village. Take a walk through the village and admire the rich silk fabrics.

Day 3 Tân Châu & Vinh Hoa

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Today you will have a rare glimpse of rural life as it has been lived for ages. Begin your morning with a ride on a traditional rickshaw in Tân Châu. Afterward, visit the floating fish farm by wooden sampan, then take a boat ride to Vinh Hoa, known as “Evergreen Island.” Here you can take a short walk to see various methods of traditional Vietnamese farming and the crafts and other daily activities of local people firsthand.

Set sail in the afternoon, observing daily life along the river along the way. This evening, enjoy a screening of the film l’Amant (The Lover) which will prepare you for tomorrow’s visit to Sa Dec.

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Explore the stunningly scenic and culturally distinctive lands that lie along the remarkable Mekong River cruises