Field Visit Report Promoting climate-smart water technologies and innovations for sustainable water resources and rice production under climate change in the Lancang-Mekong Region

This field visit report details a mission to Hubei Province, China, from April 22-25, 2024, focused on promoting climate-smart water technologies for sustainable rice production in the Lancang-Mekong Region. The visit, involving partners such as the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), the Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute (CRSRI), and Thailand's Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR), showcased advanced digital twin systems for water management, community-led irrigation governance, and specialized agricultural research facilities.

• The Zhanghe Irrigation District in Hubei Province utilizes a '1+1+N+3' digital twin system to optimize water management. This system integrates a perception network of hundreds of stations—including 360 water level and 240 rainfall stations—with a model library for flood forecasting, water resource allocation, and security monitoring using GIS and BIM 3D visualization.
• Decentralized irrigation management at the Zhanghe Irrigation District is facilitated by the Farmers' Water Users' Association (FWUA). This democratic governance structure involves elected village representatives who manage water allocation and resolve conflicts, supported by smart water meters in irrigation channels to ensure fair distribution.
• The Hubei Provincial Irrigation Experiment Station serves as a research hub for agricultural sustainability, featuring a 1.9-acre high-tech greenhouse with automated environmental controls and a 1.4-acre testing zone for pit evaporation and infiltration. The station maintains over 50 years of regional agricultural meteorological records.
• A case study in the Qingshitan Reservoir Irrigation Area of Guangxi Province demonstrates the 'Thin-Shallow-Wet-Dry Irrigation Technique,' which conserves water by adjusting field water depth during different growth stages without reducing rice yields. The site also employs soil moisture sensors and liquid level gauges for real-time monitoring.
• Climate change has caused significant agricultural damage in the Lancang-Mekong region; specifically, a drought between 2019 and 2020 affected 1,330 square kilometers of Thai farmlands, resulting in economic losses of approximately US $320 million.
• The project identifies several climate-smart technologies for rice production, including Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), Laser-controlled land leveling, Solar water pumping, the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR), and Drone technology.

APA

Prasad, S. (2024). Field Visit Report Promoting climate-smart water technologies and innovations for sustainable water resources and rice production under climate change in the Lancang-Mekong Region. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/climate-smart-china-visit-2024-final-version-1.pdf

Chicago

Prasad, Satish. Field Visit Report Promoting climate-smart water technologies and innovations for sustainable water resources and rice production under climate change in the Lancang-Mekong Region. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2024. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/climate-smart-china-visit-2024-final-version-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Prasad |first1=Satish |title=Field Visit Report Promoting climate-smart water technologies and innovations for sustainable water resources and rice production under climate change in the Lancang-Mekong Region |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=April 2024 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/climate-smart-china-visit-2024-final-version-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{prasad2024field, author = {Prasad, Satish}, title = {{Field Visit Report Promoting climate-smart water technologies and innovations for sustainable water resources and rice production under climate change in the Lancang-Mekong Region}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2024}, month = apr, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/climate-smart-china-visit-2024-final-version-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }