SOBEK SOFTWARE – A NEW TOOL

FOR WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

Huan Ngoc TRAN ¹, Huong Thi VU ¹, Minh Thi Nguyet HOANG ¹ and Duong Du BUI ² 

¹ Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam

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²National central for Water Resources Investigation and Planning (NAWAPI)

ABSTRACT

Water resource management is a method to ensure the exploitation and use of water resources in efficient and sustainable way. Water resources management must be considered on large scale and many different components of water resources system to solve the problems about flood, drought, water quality, drainage system... With outstanding advantages as fast calculation, analyzing in a unified system and solving many problems, the mathematical model is considered as effective tools, which supports for the policy planners making decisions. This paper will introduce the capacity of SOBEK software to solve water resource problems. Besides, demonstrating the application of SCS model in SOBEK - RR module to calculate flood for Bui river basin at Lam Son station serving flood management problems.

Keywords: SOBEK, Water resources management, SCS model, Bui River.

1. PROBLEM STATEMENT

Water resources management has been researched and applied the 1960s in many developed countries such as Japan, Thailand, and Australia... [2], [10]. In recent times, the developing and underdeveloped countries in the Africa, America and Asia, including Vietnam has been concerned and supported to solve the problems about water as well as developing socio - economic by developed countries and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)[10].

The concept of water resources management has changed over time to suit reality. Phase (1960-1970), water was seen as resources which can be exploited and emphasized the exploitation construction systems of water resources. Phase (1980-1990), because realizing that water was overexploited so water should be limited by assessing water demand as well as caring for the development of ecosystem. Phase (1990- present), according to the WMO, WHO, UNESCO, WGP, DWRM, the approach of water resources management is based on issues about technology, financial economy institution-policy combining environment protection and sustainable development. With increasing requirements, the accuracy about technology and the optimization about economic are the issues which should be considered and solved.

Currently, in Vietnam and some other countries in the world, to solve the problems of water resources management usually use hydraulic- hydrological models. With outstanding advantages as calculating fast, analyzing in a unified system and solving many problems, the mathematical model is considered as effective tools, which supports for the policy planners making decisions. However, the choice of calculation software depends on the objective of problem, the research area, applicability or cost to use software. In hydrological and hydraulic software which are applying at present, software is widely used around the world in solving the problems relating to water resources management as HEC, MIKE and SOBEK software ... However, the ability to handle and solve the system problems (natural basin, urban basin) of MIKE and HEC software is limited and don’t have capability to combine the compositions of the water resource system to form a unity, which must calculate by repeating and trying gradually [1]. While, with the general approach, SOBEK software can combine river systems, urban systems and natural catchment systems for a solution about general water management [5], [11]. Besides, cost to use SOBEK software is moderate (2800 USD) (Deltares, 2013) comparing to the software having high cost such as MIKE (98000 EU) (DHI Denmark, 2011). With the above advantages, we can see that the SOBEK software is a useful tool to solve the problems of water resource management.

This paper will present an overview about the application ability and modules of SOBEK software. Besides, introducing an overview about some applications of SOBEK software in solving the problems of water resources management and an application research of SOBEK - RR module to study the flood problem of Bui river basin according to Lam Son station.

2. GENERAL INTRODUCTION ABOUT SOBEK SOFTWARE

SOBEK software has been developing by the Deltares - Dutch research institute, research institutes, universities and professionals in the world. It is considered a powerful tool to calculate flood flows, optimize drainage system, control water system, design sewer, simulate the morphology of river, simulate salinization and surface water quality. This software can calculate the flow for a natural basin, urban or rural areas, as well as study the problems of 1D / 2D hydrodynamic and at the same time, it can combine natural and urban water resources systems to create a integrated measure on water management . Besides, SOBEK is the ideal tool to study the problems of dam and dike break and the flood in urban areas ... [5]

Table 1: Summary tableof hydrodynamic modules in SOBEK software [5]