The Lao National Water Information Center (Photos: Sun Guangyong/ People's Daily)
The water project aided by the Chinese government helps Laos to control floods and reduce disaster risks during the rainy seasons, said Khanmany Khounphonh, deputy director-general of the Laos Department of Meteorology and Hydrology, noting rising water levels in the Mekong River used to cause enormous damage to agriculture and transportation.
The Lao National Water Information Center, completed with the joined efforts of China and Laos, has successfully improves Laos’ capacity for automatic data collection and transmission, information processing, early warning and forecasting.
The screen shows the data of Mekong River including water levels, flow rate and rainfall
“Thanks to the electronic equipment provided by China, our staff now can observe the Mekong River and collect data hourly from a 360 degree panoramic camera built on a hydrologic station to monitor the basic information, including water levels, flow rate and rainfall, without hand-measuring in the rain,” said Mayphou Mahachaleun, director of the Lao National Water Information Center.
The hydrologic station aided by Chinese government
The center, as an important component of the bilateral MOU on Water Project Cooperation signed under the witnesses of President Xi Jinping and President Bounnhang Vorachith, is a pilot project and also one of the early-harvest outcomes of the Langcang-Mekong cooperation. It plays an important role in the leap-forward development of the Lao information management for flood control, drought relief and disaster reduction, as well as guaranteeing the sustainable social and economic development.
The Rainfall Data Logger equipment aided by Chinese government
By adopting these state-of-the-art concepts, know-how and equipment, China provides valuable assistance to Laos, which fully reveals the profound friendship between the people of these two countries.
Staff at the center is observing the water level of the Mekong River
(Compiled by Shan Xin)