WATER RESOURCES AND HYDRO DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA

The Asian continent has an installed capacity of 362 000 MW with a further 136 500 MW under construction, making this the most active region in the world for hydro development and water resources development. Countries such as China, India, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bhutan, Lao PDR and the Russian Federation have large programmes under way, and many others such as Nepal, Myanmar and Indonesia have major potential and substantial development plans.

Every two years, Aqua~Media organizes a regional conference on Water Resources and Renewable Energy Development in Asia. Events in this series have so far taken place in Bangkok, Thailand (2006); Danang, Vietnam (2008); and Sarawak, Malaysia (2010). These events typically attract 600-700 participants from about 45 countries.

In recognition of the fact that the most active countries in the field of hydropower and water resources development are in Asia, and that many of the world’s largest projects are currently under way or planned in the region, these events bring together international experts from all parts of the world, to focus on issues, challenges and achievements specific to Asia countries.

ASIA 2012 will include presentations and discussions on the opportunities, development targets, accomplishments and challenges of countries in the Asia Pacific region. Abstracts are now invited for consideration by our organizing team and International Steering Committee.

Many sessions will begin with keynote addresses: eminent world experts from the public and private sectors will share their views on key topics of relevance to the region.  Workshops and Roundtable events will provide an opportunity for some specialized topics to be explored in greater depth than would be possible in a traditional conference session.

This year, one of the post-conference tours will contain a Workshop session, at the Nam Theun 2 scheme in Laos, focusing on environmental and social aspects.

WHY CHIANG MAI?

Chiang Mai is a city ideally positioned to showcase the significant hydro and water resource developments of Thailand and neighbouring countries. Bordering Myanmar to the west, Cambodia to the east, and Lao PDR - the so-called battery of Southeast Asia - to the north, Thailand offers water resource professionals a gateway to the region’s fast moving developments.

Chiang Mai is the capital city of northern Thailand and the second largest city in the country. Located approximately 700 km north of Bangkok, Chiang Mai is on the Ping river and is surrounded by the highest mountains in the country. As well as the two-day technical conference, an international exhibition of the world’s leading companies, and optional study tours to Laos and Myanmar, delegates will have the opportunity to enjoy the cultural, historic and gastronomic delights of the region.

CONFERENCE VENUE

The five-star Shangri-La luxury hotel, with 281 rooms and suites, is located in a garden setting on Chang Klan Road, which is within easy walking distance of the city’s famous Night Bazaar and boutiques.

The hotel is just a 10-minute drive from Chiang Mai International Airport which has direct flights to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Seoul, Manila, Hong Kong, Taipei and many other domestic and international destinations.

CALL FOR PAPERS - Papers are invited on the following, or related themes

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

• Potential for renewable energy development
• Review of plans and progress in South and East Asia
• The value of integrated regional development
• International and cross-border cooperation
• Appropriate project planning and benefit sharing
• Ensuring sustainability and maximizing benefits
• Innovative solutions in design and construction

HYDROLOGY AND FLOOD MANAGEMENT

• Hydrology: flood mitigation and management
• Implications of climate change
• Water infrastructure and flood discharge works (innovation, efficiency, safety and economy)

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ASPECTS

• Impact assessment: methodology and experience
• Mitigation measures for environmental and social impacts
• Greenhouse gas emissions from reservoirs
• Facilitating communications with project affected people
• Capacity building and training

FINANCE, ECONOMICS AND COMMERCIAL ASPECTS

• Securing project finance for water and energy infrastructure
• Carbon credits, carbon trading and income diversification
• Power trading and purchase agreements
• Legal and contractual issues

TECHNOLOGY: HYDRO AND OTHER RENEWABLES

• Emerging developments in renewable energy
• Technology: towards safe and economic schemes
• Hydro machinery for challenging conditions
• R&D for renewable energy equipment
• Marine energy: global potential and case studies
• Hydro in synergy with other renewable energy sources
• Grid operation: national and integrated regional systems
• Maintenance, refurbishment and upgrading
• Optimizing operation of powerplants
• Renewable energy and smart grid systems
• Pumped storage: technology, role in the grid and benefits
• Low cost solutions for rural electrification

CIVIL WORKS

• Site planning for safety and efficiency
• Remote sites and extreme climates (hot and cold)
• Construction management
• Materials for dams: past experience and future developments
• Selecting appropriate construction equipment
• Sedimentation management: planning and design approaches

SAFETY

• Approaches to complex geology and design for seismic areas
• Learning from accidents and failures
• Upgrading of civil works and powerplants to enhance safety
• Health and safety of the workforce on site

Three post-Conference study tours are being planned to follow ASIA 2012. Provisional details are set out below, but these may be subject to slight changes. Full details will be announced in our next update, when all details of logistics have been finalized.

TOUR A - LAOS (with optional stay in Bangkok)

Three-day technical tour: Nam Theun 2 and Theun Hinboun Extension, Laos; Option to spend extra 1or 2 days in Bangkok

Delegates will travel by air from Chiang Mai to Nakom Phanom, in northeastern Thailand, via Bangkok. On arrival, a river crossing will be made to the township of Thakek, on the Lao side of the Mekong. The evening meal will be beside the Mekong river.

On the following day, an early morning drive through spectacular cliff-face scenery will take participants to the newly completed Nam Theun 2 visitor centre. Here project staff will provide background information to the project, and an inter-active Workshop session will be held. Later, there will be a short drive up the escarpment leading to the plateau town of Nakai, the largest of 14 resettlement villages. Delegates will be able to visit the intake structures and some of the many successful livelihood development projects. The drive will continue past the dam site and beyond the reservoir to the town of Lak Xao for dinner and an overnight stay. The tour will continue on the next morning to the Theun Hinboun extension project, for a tour of the scheme that will include a resettlement village, the dam site, headworks, weirs and the irrigation system. Following the project tour, the group will travel on by coach to the Lao capital Vientiane, where there will be opportunity to visit some of the craft shops or temples before a late evening flight to Bangkok, for an overnight stay.

Those with time to stay on in Bangkok can enjoy a day of relaxation and sightseeing, including a city tour to see the magnificent temples, world-class restaurants, and famous shopping markets. An optional second overnight stay can be arranged.

TOUR B - MYANMAR

Four days: RCC dams in Myanmar; Lake Inle; Option to continue to Bagan

The group will fly from Chiang Mai to Yangon, and after a brief tour to see the main sites of interest, will travel on by road to the city of Naw Pi Taw. In the afternoon there will be a visit to the famous gemstone museum, followed by dinner and an overnight stay.
On the second day the tour will continue to the site of the Upper Paung Laung RCC dam and hydro project, under construction deep in the jungle. En route, the coach will pass by the existing Paung Laung embankment dam and reservoir. Upper Paung Laung will be nearing completion by the time of the trip. The group will return in the late afternoon to Naw Pi Taw for a second overnight stay.
The next day participants will continue by coach to Mandalay, with a stop en route for refreshments. Lunch will be a barbecue at a viewing point overlooking the Yeywa RCC dam. Dinner and overnight stay in the picturesque town of Mandalay.
On the final full day of the tour, the group will continue by road from Mandalay to He Ho, for a visit to the scenic Lake Inle. This freshwater lake, in the Shan hills, is the country’s second largest, and is famous for its floating islands and leg-rowing Inthas. The surrounding area is renowned for its weaving industry.

A Farewell Dinner and overnight stay will be at a resort by the lake. The group will return after breakfast to Yangon. For those wishing to stay on in Myanmar, optional touristic trips can be arranged, for example to see the stunning ancient city of Bagan with its hundreds of stupas and temples.

TOUR C - THAILAND

Two days: Mini hydro at a multipurpose scheme; resort and sightseeing

Delegates will travel to the Mae Ngat plant, about one hour from Chiang Mai, which has been built on the river outlet of a medium-sized irrigation storage dam. Releases are made for dry season irrigation demands only. Therefore, the flow variation (1 to 26 m3/s) and gross head variations (16 to 50 m) are substantial. The station is equipped with two 4500 kW vertical Kaplan units. Two 100 kW micro hydro plants were installed last year at the release channel as a micro hydro demonstration scheme.

An overnight stay and day at leisure at a luxury-class resort, with a sightseeing trip, is being planned for the second day. The group will pass through scenic areas in Mae Rim and Samoeng Districts, on the return to Chiang Mai.

Abstracts of up to 800 words, in English, are now invited on the themes listed (see inside centre page) or related topics. Please mail, fax or email abstracts (in Word format, not PDF) to the address below. A short CV of each author should be included.

The abstract should summarize precisely the scope and content of the proposed paper. No artwork or detailed bibliography is required at this stage. In the case of any project to be described, please mention its current status or date of completion. If the abstract is sent by email, please incorporate the author’s name in the file name.

Please note: abstracts should only be submitted if the author would be able to attend the conference (or send a repres­entative).
Please obtain any necessary clear­ance, and check your availability to attend, before submitting the abstract.

If the paper is accepted, you will be asked to sign a form confirming willingness to attend; it is essential that we receive this undertaking before allocating time for an oral pres­entation.

The deadline for receipt of abstracts is 30 June 2011.  Authors will be notified in September 2011 about whether or not their paper has been accepted for presentation, or for publication in the Proceedings. Those with papers accepted should then confirm attendance.

Abstracts will be reviewed by two or more experts on our International Steering Committee, and you may be asked to modify some aspects of your proposed paper. As this review process takes some time, we urge you to submit abstracts promptly (if possible well before the final deadline).

Full papers will be required by 31 December 2011; format guidelines will be sent to all authors whose papers are accepted. A hard copy and an electronic file of each final paper will be required.

Full details of the technical and social programmes, and more information about the excursions, accommodation and registration fees, will be published in the Final Bulletin, which will be distributed in November 2011.