Introduction:

The present study focuses on the local-scale effects that land-cover and land-use change (LCLUC) has on hydrology in montane mainland Southeast Asia (MMSEA). The project is imbedded within a larger study investigating the implications of LCLUC on regional moisture and energy fluxes at the global scale.

To study the effects of the LCLUC at the local scale, hydrologic variables in two basins within MMSEA have been monitored since 2004.

1. Mae Sa (Chiang Mai - Northern Thailand)
2. Nam Ken (Xishuangbanna - Southern Yunnan - China)

Mae Sa basin - Chiang Mai:

Mae Sa is a 75.4 km² watershed located in Northern Thailand (northwest of Chiang Mai and approximately 300 km southeast of Nam Ken). The Mae Sa stream drains into the Ping River, which empties into the Chao Praya River, the major river of northern Thailand.

There are three met stations (black dots), four soil moisture stations (red dots) and five rain gauges (blue dots) that have been operational since June 2004.

Data for the different stations can be found here

Nam Ken basin - Xishuangbanna:

Nam Kem is a 68.9 km² watershed located south of Xishuangbanna Prefecture, a biologically diverse region located in the tropical Yunnan province in southern China. The basin borders Myanmar; and it is located only 30 km away from the Lao PDR border. Nam Ken is a headwater basin of the Mekong River (also called Lancang Jiang in China), which is considered to be the largest of all Southeast Asian rivers.

In Nam Ken basin, there are three meteorological stations (black dots), four soil moisture stations (red) and three rain gauges (blue). The stations were installed in May 2004, and have been operational since then. Data from the stations can be found here