The Role of Wetlands in Water Security for the Mekong Region

Abstract

Wetlands are highly important to the food-energy-water nexus of the Mekong region. Rural water security is of specific interest for Mekong-region countries because major rural economic sectors of all countries, especially agriculture and aquaculture, as well as main sources of water for rural household consumption and public water supply, depend on water from wetlands. Many of the most affected people, especially women, children, and senior citizens, are vulnerable groups because of close coupling between wetlands and livelihoods, and thus this project is aligned with the SUMERNET 4 All priority “water access, rights and allocation in times of water insecurity.” In preparation for impacts from global change and intensifying water management in the Mekong region, quantification of ecosystem services from wetlands is needed. Our specific interest in this proposed work is the role of wetlands for water security. The specific objectives of this research are to determine, for a cross-section of wetland types in the Mekong region, how water budgets and water quality provide ecosystem services, community relationships with those ecosystem services, and to project the impact of global and regional change on water security for communities through changes in