A safety assessment for the Guanlei Port – Qingsheng Port water corridors on the Lancang – Mekong River

Abstract

ABSTRACT The water corridors between the Guanlei Port and the Qingsheng Port on the Lancang – Mekong River are important waterway for Yunnan and Southeast Asian countries. However, there are certain unpredictable safety hazards due to its location bordering multiple countries, complex terrain, sparse human settlements and inconvenient transportation. To help enhancing the safety of the Lancang – Mekong River international waterway, this paper used satellite imagery to interpret safety factors such as fault structures, channel width, rapids, vegetation coverage, river curvature, human settlements and transportation conditions. Based on analytic hierarchy process (AHP) , this research assessed the shipping safety of the waterway, analysed the effects of various factors on navigation, and made suggestions on the shipping safety which is important in the border areas. The results show that the Meisai section of the Mekong River has the shipping safety at level 1 where the limited joint patrol is proposed. The navigation channel from Guanlei Port to Wanxianwotang has the shipping safety at levels 2 & 3 where the intermediate effort of the joint patrol is suggested. The waterway from Wanxianwotang to Wannanpen has the shipping safety at levels 4 & 5 where the strong presence of the joint patrol is recommended.