Water Resource of Mekong River and Its Development free essay sample

About the Mekong River I- The land and its resource II- People and livelihood and water III- Water and work a- Feeding Millions b- Powering Development c- Fueling Trade d- Moving People and Goods e-Bringing People Together IV- Special Place a- The Tonle Sap b-The Mekong Delta c-Deep Pools B- Mekong Development I- What is the Basin Development Plan? II- Why is a Basin Development Plan Needed? III- How Does Basin Development Planning Work? IV- What are Scenarios? V- What Has Been Achieved So Far? A- About The Mekong River I- The land and its resource The Mekong River Basin is defined by the land area surrounding all the streams and rivers that flow into the Mekong River. This includes parts of China, Myanmar and Viet Nam, nearly one third of Thailand and most of Cambodia and Lao PDR. With a total land area of 795 000 square kilometers, the Mekong River Basin is nearly the size of France and Germany together. We will write a custom essay sample on Water Resource of Mekong River and Its Development or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page From its headwaters thousands of meters high on the Tibetan Plateau, it flows through six distinct geographical regions, each with characteristic features of elevation, topography and land cover. It would take 2 days of twenty-four hour driving at 100 km per hour to drive the same distance as the length of the Mekong River (4800 km). Water and related resources The most abundant resources in the Mekong Basin are water and biodiversity. Only the Amazon River Basin has greater diversity of plant and animal life. Some key facts about the Mekong †¢ From its source in Tibet, the Mekong River is approximately 4800km long and flows through six countries: China, Myanmar, Lao PDR, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam. So much water flows into the mainstream Mekong from the surrounding basin area that, on average, 15,000 cubic meters of water passes by every second. In many parts of the world, thats enough water to supply all the needs of 100,000 people – the population of a large town – for a whole day. †¢ This water nourishes large tracts of forest and wetlands which produce building materials, medicines and food, provides habitats for thousands of species of plant s and animals and supports an inland capture fishery with an estimated commercial value of US$2 billion dollars per year. Known mineral resources include tin, copper, iron ore, natural gas, potash, gem stones and gold. †¢ The Lower Mekong River Basin (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet Nam) is home to approximately 60 million people. There are over 100 different ethnic groups living within the basins boundaries, making it one of the most culturally diverse regions of the world. †¢ Farmers in the Mekong Basin produce enough rice to feed 300 million people a year. Agriculture employs 85% of the people living in the basin. †¢ The Mekong River Basin is one of the most productive inland fisheries in the world. The basin provides a wide variety of breeding habitats for over 1300 species of fish. Conservative estimates indicate that basin dwellers eat over one and half million tones of fish per year. †¢ It has been estimated that total hydropower production capacity in the Lower Mekong Basin is 30 000 megawatts, more than enough to meet the expected demand in the coming decade. †¢ There are 25 major ports on the Mekong River and except for a 14 km stretch around the Khone Falls near the Lao-Cambodia border; almost the entire length of the river is navigable for nearly 8 months of the year. The Great Lake on the Cambodian floodplain is the largest body of fresh water in Southeast Asia and forms one of the key features of the lowlands. During the flood season, water flows from the Mekong mainstream northwest to contribute most of the water that fills the Great Lake. The depth of the Great Lake increases from a dry season maximum of 3. 6 m to more than 10 m, and the area of open water increases from approximately 2,500-3,000 km? , to up to 13,000 km?. As water levels fall in the Mekong River in October and November, flows into the Great Lake reverse and much of the water flows out and down the Tonle Sap River. Through the dry season, water from the Great Lake continues to supplement the flow of the Mekong, providing some 16 percent of the dry season flow. †¢ The water of the Mekong is shared by six countries with each contributing a percentage to its flow. Table 1: Approximate distribution of MRB water resources by country |   |   |Country or Province |   | | |   | Challenges The main challenge is to build a sustainable planning process that will enable development of subsequent editions of the IWRM-based Basin Development Plan with greater reliance on local resources. The connections between the MRC programmed and national planning and line agencies are seen as pivotal to the establishment of an integrated planning process that links all levels of planning in the basin. The MRC sector programmed have an overarching objective of promoting wise use of resources in their respective sectors through appropriate development projects. It is expected that they will increasingly influence, promote and, where appropriate, participate in national planning within the framework of the BDP. The Plan will use acquired knowledge from MRC programmed to build an overall perspective of basin management and development needs. This will eventually set the agenda for MRC programmed. As the chart shows, the BDP overarches MRC sector and service programmed to form a powerful initiative for supporting IWRM across the Lower Mekong Basin. [pic] BDP Contribution to the MRC Strategic Plan 2006-2010 The centre piece of the MRC’s current strategy is a ‘rolling’ plan for developing and managing the Basin’s water resources, founded on IWRM principles, and with a socially and environmentally sound agenda to promote regional cooperation. The BDP Programmed provides this basin-wide planning process plus opportunities to build a strong partnership of stakeholders who can effectively link development and natural resource conservation. Programme outputs will contribute to the achievement of all four MRC strategic goals. The BDP also assists implementation of the MRC Strategic Plan by supporting: †¢ Improvement of the coordination and programming of other MRC programmes towards achieving the organization’s strategic goals; †¢ The visible engagement of the MRC in Tran boundary assessment, based on IWRM. Partnership and Stakeholder Involvement The BDP supports national socio-economic development policies and adds value to national development efforts through initiatives that affect more than one country. Through the National Mekong Committees in each country, the programme has developed close links with line agencies and stakeholders in the ten BDP sub-areas. Phase 2 will foster these relations by bringing the MRC sector programmes closer to these national and local planning partners. The BDP will continue to put stakeholder participation and communication at the heart of its activities to facilitate acceptance of the Plan and support for its implementation. The BDP also maintains links with and supports other regional initiatives including the World Bank/ADB Mekong Water Resources Assistance Strategy, various ASEAN and Greater Mekong Sub-Region projects, the Global Water Partnership and UNESCAP. The BDP Programme (phases 1 and 2) has received financial and technical support from Denmark, Australia, Japan, Sweden and Switzerland. Next Steps After a period of reassessing progress from the first phase and meeting staffing needs, the BDP Programme is now well equipped to forge ahead. Recruitment of a new regional team has been completed and national BDP teams mobilised. An inception report for the second phase of the programme was prepared and discussed in national and regional consultation meetings. In February 2008, the BDP Programme will be discussed in a regional consultation meeting with stakeholders from NGOs, academia, development partners and the private sector. This will place the plan in the broader development context of the region. Overview of BDP Phase 1 Achievements Phase 1 of the BDP produced: (1) A planning process consisting of A functional, comprehensive network of participants and information flows, consolidated during active dialogue involving 200 institutional stakeholders; Routines for identification, scoping and screening of recommended projects and programmed; Initial practices for promotion and facilitation of priority projects and programmed. (2) A knowledge base, comprising data and information for planning, including the following publications: MRC State of the Basin Report (June 2003); MRC Social Atlas (May 2003); MRC People Environment Atlas (Aug 2003); The BDP Planning Atlas, produced by a GIS-linked database, with a wealth of data; and information, and listings of development projects and project ideas (May 2006); Stakeholder Participation The BDP Core Library (May 2006) (3) Modeling and assessment tools, such as a GIS-linked project database, a project screening toolkit, the Decision Support Framework (developed by the Water Utilization Programmed), and a Resources Allocation Model for the assessment of development scenarios. (4) Plan setting, consisting of: Broad integrated analyses, at sub-area, national and basin-wide levels, of baseline conditions, water demand projections, development opportunities, linkages and constraints; Approved Strategic directions for IWRM in the Lower Mekong Basin, reflecting values shared by the Member States, and addressing immediate, medium and long-term water-related development; and Categorized and prioritized projects and programmed that will support the strategic directions and the MRC vision of an economically prosperous, socially just and environmentally sound Mekong River Basin. 5) Enhanced understanding of IWRM principles at the regional, national and sub-area levels, provided by: Dedicated training sessions and on-the-job training; The MDBC training programmed and curriculum; Six riparian MSC candidates educated under BDP-related grants. †¢ Formulated and assessed basin-wide development scenarios, which facilitate the establishment of a shared understanding of development options in the Lowe r Mekong Basin and help define the IWRM-based strategy for basin development and management; An updated IWRM-based basin strategy to guide the implementation of IWRM in the Lower Mekong Basin; †¢ A portfolio of programmes and projects identified and short listed under the planning cycle; †¢ A rolling IWRM-based Basin Development Plan; †¢ Enhanced knowledge base with updated State of the Basin Report and a planning atlas; †¢ Upgraded assessment tools and process for use by the MRC and national line agencies in the planning process; and †¢ Updated planning guides and enhanced capacity for IWRM-based planning.

Stalin’s Reign of Terror Essay Example

Stalin’s Reign of Terror Essay Stalin’s Reign of Terror Name: Course: Date: We will write a custom essay sample on Stalin’s Reign of Terror specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Stalin’s Reign of Terror specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Stalin’s Reign of Terror specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Stalin’s Reign of Terror The book, Journey into the Whirlwind, by Eugenia Ginzburg is a memoir based on the 1917 Russian Revolution. The memoir descriptively illustrates a personal account of the author’s life and incarceration in the Soviet Union throughout the government of Joseph Stalin in the 1930s. Throughout the novel, Ginzburg recounts numerous experiences directly related with Stalin’s reign of terror that witnessed millions of civilians suffer. The book, divided into two parts, provides the reader with an opportunity to glance and delve deeply into circumstances encompassing the author’s tribulations and concurrently, gain knowledge based on one of history’s most controversial leaders, Joseph Stalin. Part 1 The first part of the novel, Journey into the Whirlwind, provides a detailed account of Ginzburg’s arrest, court trial and the two years of solitary internment that she experienced. The first part begins on December 1, 1934 when Ginzburg receives a phone call. Through the phone call, Ginzburg is informed that the secretary to the General Committee of the Communist Party, Kirov is dead. Apparently, Kirov’s death was through a planned assassination. The murder of Kirov engenders paranoia regarding the rebellious political elements in the party, which causes the current government to tauten its grasp on society. Consequently, an innocent and unaware Ginzburg is individually tossed into the tussle when Professor Elvov, her old friend, is detained in 1935 (Ginzburg, 1995). The reason for his arrest was due to his authoring of a chapter that advocated Trotskyist connotations. Ginzburg’s association with Elvov puts her under extreme suspicion. Consequently, the officials of the party in her hometown, Kazan, quickly indict her of failing to denounce Elvov’s treachery to the party. Ginzburg repudiates the accusations, which forces her to be questioned by Comrade Beylin. Beylin and his partner Malyuta originally release Ginzburg with a minor indictment of inadequate vigilance. However, events turn around for Ginzburg when she finds herself being at the mercy of cruel interrogators. In 1936, Ginzburg, an intensely dedicated Communist, witnesses Stalin, the leader of the Communists for the first and last time. Despite Stalin sharing the same ideals as Ginzburg, Ginzburg views Stalin as ugly and a personification of evil. Later, Ginzburg travels to Moscow to appeal her case to the court located at IIyinka Street, where numerous accused persons are queuing in line (Ginzburg, 1995). A political commissar, Sidorov, listens to Ginzburg’s plight and is sympathetic towards her. However, Ginzburg is forced to avail her party card, which eventually leads to her arrest, by Captain Vevers eight days afterward. In the prison crypts at Black Lake Street, Ginzburg is imprisoned together with Lyama, an attractive young woman. The prison food proves to be foul for Ginzburg, so Lyama eats both portions. Lyama also explains to Ginzburg that it is vital to communicate with other inmates. Later, Ginzburg is called in for inquiry by interrogators. They interrogate her using sadistic methods such as starvation and sleep deprivation. However, Ginzburg refuses to confess guilt or turn in others. Consequently, Ginzburg is able to establish communication using the prison alphabet, which involved a series of tapping and translating taps (Ginzburg, 1995). Ginzburg and Lyama gain a new cellmate, Ira. In the interrogation, Ginzburg’s former partners from the periodical, Red Tartary, are summoned to contradict her. She is disappointed when she discovers that two of her counterparts, Volodya Dyakanov and Nayla Kozlova, have consented to sign the interrogators’ papers. Afterwards, Ginzburg is relocated to another prison, which is filthier but less stringent. She develops new relationships and devices a novel communication system that enables her to spread the news all over the prison through singing and opera tunes. However, Ginzburg is relocated again to Moscow. In Butkryki Prison, she hears the screams of cellmates being tortured. Eventually, Ginzburg faces the military tribunal expecting a death sentence. To her surprise, she is sentenced to ten years of imprisonment. After staying briefly at the Pugachev Tower, Ginzburg is transported to Yaroslavl by train. After the end of her two years at Yaroslavl, her sentence is revi sed, and she is reassigned to a remedial labor camp. Part 2 The second part of the novel starts with a clique of 76 female inmates boarding Car Number 7, in a compartment labeled â€Å"Special Equipment† (Ginzburg, 1995). In Car Number 7, among the female prisoners transported together with Ginzburg, another prisoner who later becomes Ginzburg’s friend is in the compartment. Tanya Stankovskaya is happy to possess a bunk in the train. Regardless of the discomfort of traveling in a cattle car, the train is filled with happy voices of female inmates according to Ginzburg because none of the prisoners had seen any other person in over two years. Later on, Ginzburg meets Zinaida Tulub in the train. Zinaida was a historical novelist from Ukraine. Ginzburg tells Zinaida about herself and her life story while discovering the unease of talking due to her long years of forced silence (Ginzburg, 1995). After an upsetting journey that lasted for a month in a cattle car, the inmates pull in at a transfer camp in close proximity to Vladivostok. At the transit camp, the female prisoners intermingle, through a fence, with male inmates, ravening themselves on romantic emotions and probing for recognizable faces. At the camp, Ginzburg stays for a month before being transported to Kolyma, Siberia through ship. Ginzburg and her fellow inmates are transferred through the ship known as SS Dzhurma. In the ship, Ginzburg is shown to be sick from a bout of fever. However, irrespective of the effect of illness on her, Ginzburg decides to conceal her ailment at all costs. She subjected herself to harsh conditions coupled by her illness in order to avoid from being separated from her fellow prisoners. The last batch of female prisoners to be brought into SS Dzhurma was comprised of criminals indicted with crimes ranging from sexual deviance to murder (Ginzburg, 1995). The journey within the ship was significantly uneventful. Life on the ship, SS Dzhurma, was considerably wretched than in Car 7 and Yaroslavl. The hatches within the ship were unfastened throughout the journey in order to allow for the entrance of air into the ship. However, this propagated even terrible conditions throughout the journey. Due to the harsh conditions, Ginzburg becomes terribly ill. At one point, Ginzburg attempts to use the bathroom on the deck only to lose consciousness and pass out for two days due to exhaustion and sickness. After her tumultuous stay at the SS Dzhurma, Ginzburg and the prisoners eventually reach Kolyma, located in the northern Siberia region. In Kolyma, the prisoners are transported to Magadan Camp. However, Ginzburg falls sick again at the camp. Eventually, she is transported to the sick ward. She is brought to the sick ward, where sick men and women are clustered together in taut quarters. The sick ward at Magadan Infirmary allows Ginzburg to bathe and receive treated. Eventually, she is treated by Dr. Klimenko who is the wife of a police investigator. Dr. Klimenko allows Ginzburg to stay in the hospital for one month in order to recover fully. Additionally, Klimenko does this because she believes that Ginzburg has experienced death much greater than the other prisoners have (Ginzburg, 1995). After a month in recovery, Ginzburg returns to Magadan Camp. At the camp, Ginzburg was assigned to Hut 8. Regardless of recovering completely, Ginzburg feels that she has betrayed her fellow inmates. Her reason for feeling this way is attributed to her fair treatment at hospital. She alleges that while she was being treated well in hospital, her friends were suffering in prison. Throughout the trip to the sick ward, her consciousness wavers but she is immediately restored when the doctor prescribes a warm pine bath for her. Her stay at the infirmary in Magadan Camp under the care of a nurse enables Ginzburg to reclaim her health. Eventually, she is put to work with other inmates after she is deemed well. Soon after, Ginzburg bribes the leader of the team, who is responsible for allocating jobs to prisoners, and ends up doing housework in a guesthouse. Later, she works in the kitchen but eventually she is deported to a camp at Elgen. At the camp, she was forced to fell trees in glacial temperatures. Moreover, the overseer, Keyzin was harsh to the prisoners and demanded a high output in the snow, which equaled their food earnings (Ginzburg, 1995). However, tree felling proved to be dangerous especially when in snow. Irrespective of this, Ginzburg and her counterparts were forced to maintain high output but it was impossible due to Ginzburg’s poor health. However, Ginzburg escapes death when a doctor from Leningrad, Vasily Petukhov, carrying out routine medical inspections on her recognizes her and claims that he is familiar with her son (Ginzburg, 1995). The doctor assists Ginzburg in evading the fatal conditions at Elgen by securing her with a medical attendant’s job at a children’s hospital. The Journey into the Whirlwind is indeed an engaging and interesting book. Irrespective of the experiences that the author goes through, Ginzburg manages to induce optimism at the end of the book. Irrespective of the few ills documented in the novel, Ginzburg does not reiterate on the Soviet tactics used against prisoners and innocent civilians but rather on the psychological abuse, that she went underwent in the interrogations and prison life. Regardless of the raw details of Ginzburg’s life under the Soviet government, the author presents an emotional depiction that leaves the reader completely engaged and engrossed. References Ginzburg, E. S. (1995). Journey into the Whirlwind. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Co.