A hydrological model for interprovincial water resource planning and management: A case study in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle, Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Abstract

In this paper we present the results of the development and calibration of a fine-scaled quasi-2D hydrodynamic model (IWRM-LXQ) for the Long Xuyen Quadrangle – an important interprovincial agricultural region in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. We use the Long Xuyen Quadrangle as a case study to highlight the need for further investment in hydrodynamic modelling at scales relevant to the decisions facing water resource managers and planners in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. The IWRM-LXQ was calibrated using existing data from a low flood year (2010) and high flood year (2011), including dry season and wet season flows. The model performed well in simulating low flood and high flood events in both dry and wet seasons where good spatial and temporal data exists. However, our study shows that there are data quality issues and key data gaps that need to be addressed before the model can be further refined, validated and then used for decision making. The development of the IWRM-LXQ is timely, as significant investments in land and water resource development and infrastructure are in planning for the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. In order to define the scope of such investments and their feasibility, models such as the IWRM-LXQ are an essential tool to provide objective assessment of investment options and build stakeholder consensus around potentially contentious development decisions.