August 2015

Depth of ICEM Experience in Rivers to be Featured in 18th Annual International RiverSymposium

Tarek Ketelsen, ICEM Technical Director, will present as a keynote speaker at this year's International RiverSymposium to be held in Brisbane, Australia. Held annually, this premier event brings together river managers, policy developers, scientists, consultants, NGOs and community organisations to share knowledge and innovative ideas on all aspects of river and water management. The theme for this year's Symposium is “Healthy Rivers – Healthy Economies”.

Flooding in Lao PDR highlights need for improved dam design, communication

Flooding in the Xe Ban Fay River in central Lao PDR has recently inundated several hundreds of hectares of rice fields adjacent to its banks. Heavy rains have caused the river to reach water levels of almost 19 meters. An agreement signed between the Lao PDR government and Nam Theun 2 states dictates that when water levels reach 14.40m, the dam slows its release into the river. The dam halts releases completely when that level reaches 14.90m. As such, the Nam Theun 2 has been withholding releases for several days.