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Simple power-law models to predict flow metrics for water resource and risk management along the Mekong tributaries. [Abstract only]

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Title Simple power-law models to predict flow metrics for water resource and risk management along the Mekong tributaries. [Abstract only]
 
Creator Lacombe, Guillaume
Douangsavanh, Somphasith
Vogel, R.
McCartney, Matthew P.
Chemin, Yann H.
Rebelo, Lisa-Maria
Sotoukee, Touleelor
 
Subject water resources
risk management
statistical methods
models
river basins
catchment areas
 
Description Increasing demographic pressure, economic development and resettlement policies in the Lower Mekong Basin induce greater population dependency on river flow to satisfy growing domestic and agricultural water demands. This dependency is particularly tight in upland areas where alternative water resources (groundwater) are scarce. As a result, communities tend to live closer to rivers, and so are more vulnerable to floods. This situation requires improved knowledge of flow variability for better management of water resources and risks. Unfortunately, stream flow measurements are scarce, especially in remote areas inhabited by the poorest and most vulnerable populations. Several water resource models have been developed to simulate and predict flows in the Lower Mekong Basin. However, most of these models have been designed to predict flow along the Mekong mainstream, precluding accurate assessments in headwater catchments. In most cases, their complexity and lack of transparency restricts potential users to modelling experts, and largely excludes those practitioners working closely with affected populations. The most integrated and informative way to characterize flow, at a specific location on a river, is to compute a flow duration curve which provides the percentage of time (duration) any particular flow is exceeded over a historical period. Using hydro-meteorological records from more than 60 gauged catchments in the Lower Mekong Basin, and a 90-meter digital elevation model, we used multiple linear regressions to develop power-law models predicting flow duration curves. These simple equations allow assessment of low, medium and high flow metrics, at any point on rivers in the Lower Mekong Basin, using easily determined geomorphological and climate characteristics. We believe that this parsimonious, transparent and highly predictive tool (89%
 
Date 2014
2015-07-30T06:07:05Z
2015-07-30T06:07:05Z
 
Type Conference Paper
 
Identifier Lacombe, Guillaume; Douangsavanh, Somphasith; Vogel, R.; McCartney, Matthew; Chemin, Yann; Rebelo, Lisa-Maria; Sotoukee, Touleelor. 2014. Simple power-law models to predict flow metrics for water resource and risk management along the Mekong tributaries. [Abstract only] Paper presented at the International Conference on Sustainability in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus, Bonn, Germany, 19-20 May 2014. pp.59.
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/67590
https://publications.iwmi.org/pdf/H046736.pdf
http://wef-conference.gwsp.org/fileadmin/WEF_Conference/Conference_Programme_Sustainability_in_the_W-E-F_Nexus_web_version.pdf
Managing Resource Variability and Competing Use
 
Language en
 
Rights Open Access