Vulnerability to Flood in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta: Mapping and Uncertainty Assessment

The Vietnamese Mekong Delta is located at the end of the Mekong River, one of the 10 largest rivers in the world. It plays an important role, especially in terms of food security for not only Vietnam but also the world. However, the Vietnamese Mekong Delta is projected to be heavily affected by: (1) the annual (fluvial) flood, which would be changed in terms of time and spatial distribution after impacts of climate change scenarios (i.e., sharper hydrograph with shorter flood period); and (2) sea level rise. Such combination would result in significant changes of surface water resources, leading to consequent impacts on the existing farming systems in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Therefore, this paper presents a new approach of integrating a one-dimensional hydrodynamic model (ISIS-1D) with GIS (Geographic Information System ) analyses to: (1) identify priority areas for flood adaptation and mitigation; (2) provide an insight to local decision-makers in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta in changes of future floods.