Carriage, Handling and Storage of Dangerous Goods along

6. ENVIRONMENT
6.1 INTRODUCTION
RECOMMENDATIONS 127
The water resources of the Mekong River provide livelihoods for most of the 60 million people who
live in the Lower Mekong Basin. These livelihoods to a large extent depend on the environmental
health of the Mekong River and its tributaries remaining in good condition. Water quality is a key
determinant of environmental health and is decreasing in the Mekong River Basin, impacting on
agricultural land, important wetlands and biodiversity. Impacts to water quality are mainly due to
increased urbanisation and socio-economic developments along the Mekong River.
The transport and storage of dangerous goods is a potential threat to water quality from oil spills
and wastes generated by vessels, petroleum terminals and ports. The type and quantity of dangerous
goods stored and transported on the Mekong River has been assessed to determine the risks of oil spills
and pollution. Chapter 7 of the Risk Analysis (Volume 1) identified important wetlands in the Mekong
Basin, reviewed the existing water quality monitoring (WQM) and water quality threats in the LMB.
6.2 PREPARATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS
The Risk Analysis considered the potential environment impacts associated with the carriage,
handling and storage of dangerous goods at ports, petroleum terminals, ferry crossings and onboard
vessels. The following key outcomes of the Risk Analysis in relation to the environment were considered
when preparing the recommendations:
• Oil spills in inland waters are highly likely to contaminate water supplies, affecting aquatic
ecosystems and riparian populations;
• The main types of dangerous goods transported on the Mekong River are diesel, gasoline,
kerosene and liquid petroleum gas (LPG);
• Fixed facilities and vessels are the major sources of spills for inland waters;
• Existing mechanisms to prevent control and monitor water pollution from navigation and
other industries need to be enhanced in the Member Countries;