BNPP/ASB Functional Value of Biodiversity Project – Phase II 

3.2 Strategy and implementation
3.2.1 Assemble the dataframe required for the application of the VIC hydrology model to the Mekong river drainage basin (and Mae Chaem/Ping, and conceivably to Chao Phrya).
3.2.2. Assemble the dataframe required for the model application in Northern Thailand, focusing on VIC and exploring the advantages and feasibility of DHSVM.
3.2.3  Provide model simulations on both dataframes (using the respective model) over a standard climatology and either a "standard" rainfall, or a "typical actual rainfall record" (ie. last 10 years).
3.2.4. Produce modeled output with landcover alterations of forested landscapes at various degrees and in different upland and floodplain configuration so as to simulate a range of landuse change scenarios.
3.2.5. Report the results of all model simulations in terms of: 
· total yield by time at locations upstream from major urban centers and at the coastal zone,
· seasonal variability of total flow related to seasonality of the simulated rainfall data, 
· duration of storm events effects on stage height at location upstream from major urban centers.
Sub-activity 2.1 Assemble the dataframe required for the application of the VIC hydrology model to the Mekong river drainage basin (and Mae Chaem/Ping, and conceivably to Chao Phrya).
Lead UW
Collaborator ICRAF/Bogor and Chiang Mai, and Chulalongkorn University; in consultation with World Bank.  
Description ?
Status  As summarized in Table 2, the VIC/Mekong dataframe is nearly done. Other than simple aggregation tasks, the primary work remaining is is developing the time series landcover data set, and agree on scenario datasets. It should be noted here that the primary rationale for the scenarios in the context here is to examine landuse change consequences; it is not necessary to work with the “most likely” scenarios.
Scope   The primary focus is the Mekong basin itself, as derived explicitly from the GTOPO30 digital elevation model (DEM). As noted below, the primary work on the Mae Chaem will be conducted in the DHSVM modeling environment. The Ping will be included only as part of the overall Chao Phrya (higher resolution data that would have enabled a closer look turned out not to be available).
Scale (Resolution) ?
Methods   The overall plan is to construct multiple dataframes, where the composite will meet our objectives. We choose to update our current coverages of the Mekong with latest and most highly resolved data available. A primary constraint in the entire process is the limitation in spatial, temporal, and content information of the core data sets. For regional-scale work, the basic datasets (e.g; landcover) are derived from satellites with a spatial resolution of 1 km. Such a product is typically “static,” and is assembled from multiple satellite data streams. It must be recognized that conducting, for example, a time series analysis with a static landcover superimposes the constraint that actual landuse has remained consistent (infrequently true). Longer term climatology datasets (used to force the models) are frequently produced on a monthly basis; hence a model that has daily time steps must interpolate the monthly data to daily. That is, a series of decisions, each with implications, must be made. Hence our strategy is to proceed logically through the datasets and their respective tradeoffs. 

While we had developed 1 km resolution data for the Mekong, our initial model runs were at 25 km resolution. Hence we are now setting up the data to actually run VIC at 8 km and at 1 km (which may be beyond the theoretical resolution of the VIC construct, but is well-worth investigating). The following sources and methods are being used to construct the VIC dataframe (summarized in Table 1). 

A separate dataframe for VIC for the Mae Chaem is under development (by our Thai colleagues). The dataframe to support application to the Chao Phrya basin is only partially done (with the primary effort devoted to the Mekong and Mae Chaem), and may not be feasible in the time frame of this project.

Inputs 
Output The output of this effort will be sufficient to drive VIC for the analyses of Activities 2.3, 2.4, and 2.5.
Linkages to policy-briefs and other deliverables
Milestones 
Date Expected ?

Notes, 

Questions, 

Comments 

 ?
References See Activity 2 references.

 

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Last updated: 27 November, 2003     ©2003 ASB. All rights reserved.