Impacts of changing landscapes on water quality in Chindwin River, Ayeyarwady River Basin, Myanmar

3rd International Conference on the Status and Future of the
World‘s Large Rivers
18-21 April 2017, New Delhi, India
Thanapon Piman1,
May Thazin Aung1, Chayanis Krittasudthacheewa1, Chusit Apirumanekul1,
Vitor Vieira Vasconcelos2, Frederick Bouckaert3, Win Maung4 and
Khin Ohnmar Htwe4
1 Stockholm Environment Institute – Asia Center, Bangkok
2 Universidade Federal do ABC, Santo André, Brazil
3 University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
4 Myanmar Environment Institute, Yangon, Myanmar
Impacts of changing landscapes on
water quality in Chindwin River,
Ayeyarwady River Basin, Myanmar
1

Catchment Area : 114 000 sq. km
Length of Main River : 900 km
Mean Annual rainfall: 670 ~3740 mm
Population: 3.5 Million people and highly
dependent on water from the river
Major cities : Hkamti, Htamanthi, Homalin,
Mawlaik, Kalewa, Kalaymyo,Mingin, Monywa
Land use : About 90% of the basin is
covered by thick forest followed by 5 % of
croplands
Chindwin River Basin
2

• Critical concern from the stakeholder
engagement and consultation
meetings on land use change and
water quality degradation.
• Rapid development in the region,
particularly
– Mining expansion
– Deforestation
• Sharing river water use by different
sectors
• Lack of capacity in monitoring health
of river
Consultation meeting in Nov 2014
Rational
3

0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Annual Deforestation in Chindwin Basin
Yearly Deforested Area
Area (Km2)
Deforestation area in 2013
increased about 3 times from
2001
Homalin: Forest à Mining
Win Ma Nar: Forest à Agriculture
Changing landscapes
Source: Google map
Source: Google map
4

0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
1989 1996 2002 2007 2011 2015
Evolution of Mining Areas in Chindwin River Basin
Lower Uru (Homalin) Uper Uru (Hpakan) Upper Chindwin (Hugawng Valley)
Area (Km2)
Hpakan
Homalin
Hugawng
Mining Expansion in
Chindwin River Basin
5

Copper mining: 22.6 km2
Coalmining: 0.2 km2 Jade Mining: 322.5 km2
Gold Mining : 322.5 km2
Letpadaugn Copper Mine – Monywa.
Source: Canadian Friends of Burma
http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/massive-land-
confiscation-for-copper-mine.html
Paluzawa Coal Mine – Kalewa.
Source: Energy International.
http://www.sngj.cc/en/list/?20_1.html
Jade Mining- Hpakan.
Source: Sciency Thoughts
http://sciencythoughts.blogspot.com/2
015/01/at-least-two-dead-following-
landslide.html
Gold mining in--Homalin.
6

1. Literature review
2. Stakeholders consultations (Nov 2014,
May 2015)
3. Data collection from government
departments
4. Household survey: 600 households in
Homalin, Kani, Monywa
5. Focus group Interviews
6. 4 times for field monitoring during dry
and wet season in 2015 and 2016 (23
parameters)
– In-situ measurements
– Laboratory tests
– Portable test kits
Water quality monitoring
7

17 locations in Uru, Ya Mar,
and Chindwin Rivers around
Homalin, Kalewa, Kani,
Monywa
Parameters Locations
8

Homalin Monywa
31May -1 June
27-29 Sep 1-2 Oct
3-4 June
Water samples in 2016 during the dry and wet seasons
9

• Heavy metals including Arsenic, Iron, Copper and Lead
were detected in the dry and wet seasons while Mercury
was detected in the dry season.
• Observed values of Iron were higher than the WHO
acceptable standard of drinking water
• The observed values of turbidity, Total Suspended Solid
and Total Phosphorus were also higher than the WHO
acceptable standard of drinking water at all locations,
particularly in the dry season.
• The bacteria were detected at all locations.
Key findings: Homalin (upstream)
Source: Google map
10

• Heavy metals including Arsenic, Copper,
Iron and Mercury were detected at all
locations and Lead was detected at Kani
downstream and Ya Mar River and
Monywa town.
• Observed values of Iron were higher than
the WHO acceptable standard of drinking
water at all location in the dry and wet
seasons
• The observed values of turbidity and Total
Suspended Solid were also higher than
the WHO acceptable standard of drinking
water at all locations, particularly in the dry
season.
• In Ya Mar River, observed values of
Electric Conductivity in the dry season
were higher than the WHO acceptable
standard of drinking water .
• The bacteria were detected at all
locations.
Key findings: Monywa (downstream)
Source: Google map
11

Conclusion & Recommendation
• Water quality in Chindwin River Basin are deteriorating due to
changing in land use, mining activities and deforestation.
• Water is contaminated with heavy metals (Arsenic, Iron, Mercury,
Copper, and Lead), however, the contamination levels of heavy
metals are not yet exceeding the WHO drinking standard.
• Water quality monitoring should continue at strategic locations,
particularly where heavy metals were detected.
• Water treatment systems for drinking water are required at all
locations to remove turbidity, total suspended solid, total phosphorus,
iron and mercury from raw water sources
• Further studies and investigations are recommended on sources of
water pollution and consequence impacts on human and
environmental health.
12

Thank You
Acknowledgement: Blue Moon Fund
Contact: thanapon.piman@sei-international.org
13

Impacts of changing landscapes on water quality in Chindwin River, Ayeyarwady River Basin, Myanmar

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