Author(s): Biswa Bhattacharya; Crystal Conway; Dimitri Solomatine; Ilyas Masih; Joanne Craven; Liton Chandra Mazumder; Maurizio Mazzoleni; Reyne Ugay; Schalk Jan Van Andel; Shreedeepy Shrestha
Linked Author(s): Dimitri Solomatine
Keywords: Brahmaputra; Flood map; Hydraulic modelling; Hydrological modelling; Remote sensing; Sediment
Abstract: Limited hydro-meteorological and sediment data of the Brahmaputra basin is available and as a result, water resources management of the basin is a challenge. Advances in remote sensing provide opportunities to access alternative data, which can be used in characterising the basin. We present hydrological and erosion models of the basin developed using remotely sensed data. In particular a hydrological model using HEC-HMS was developed using the elevation data from the Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM). The hydrology of the basin was simulated using rainfall data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). Evapotranspiration, temperature, soil and landuse were collected from remotely sensed data sources. The uncertainty in the model parameters due to the uncertainty of the downstream rating curve used in the calibration of the model was estimated. Another hydrological model using SWAT was also developed to simulate the erosion pattern in the basin. A hydraulic model of the Brahmaputra River was developed using HEC-RAS. Simulated flood maps were compared with satellite imageries. A conclusion was reached that the models are able to simulate the hydrological and hydraulic processes in the basin with reasonable accuracy. Due to the lack of data the erosion model could not be validated.
Year: 2018