Assessing the impact of climate change on the water intake of the headworks on the Red River Basin in Viet Nam

Abstract

The irrigation systems for the Red River Delta usually get water by pumping and gravity.The results determine the possible minimum water level line in the dry-season months under climate change scenarios (B2, SC5 and SC6 and current scenario is B2, SC4) on the river system of the Red River – Thai Binh River in study areas of project as below: Water levels on the Red River in the dry season under climate change scenarios significantly reduced compared with 2010. At Ha Noi station on Red River, the water levels reduce in 2050 about 6.5cm (B2) and 7.5cm (A2) and 6cm (B1). At Nam Dinh station on Dao River, the water levels reduce in 2050 about 4cm (B2) and 5cm (A2) and 3cm (B1). At Cat Khe on Thai Binh River, the water levels reduce in 2050 about 2cm (B2) and 3cm (A2) and 1.5cm (B1). At An Bai on Kinh Thay River, the water levels reduce in 2050 about 5cm (B2) and 6cm (A2) and 4cm (B1). At Truc Phuong on Ninh Co River, the water levels reduce in 2050 about 6.5cm (B2) and 7.2cm (A2) and 5.8cm (B1). In the scenario in which 50% of the socio-economic development plans are achieved (SC6), the water demand is lower than the scenario of full development (SC5). The decrease in the average water level in the whole Red River system is about 1.3-1.8 cm less than in SC5, and in Thai Binh river this figure is about 1.4-2.1cm. The lowering of the water level under climate change in the river has caused problems for irrigation during the dry season, in order to reach the target level in Hanoi.