Morphological evolution of the Cochien and Cunghau estuary, Mekong River, Vietnam

Abstract

     The process of morphological evolution of estuaries - adjoin river to sea - is a complex phenomenon influenced by natural factors as well as human activities. The Cochien and Cunghau Estuary belong to the Tien River, which play an important role in transportation, drainage and tidal flooding in the provinces of Vinh Long, Tra Vinh and Ben Tre. In recent years, the erosion and deposition occur complexly in this area followed by the riverbed rise, sandbar and islet formation, riverbank erosion, which threatening the economic activity and the local people lives. Factors such as flow, tides, waves, sediment are reputed to be the main causes of the morphological changes of the estuarine zone. Mike Model 21/3 model- a combined hydrodynamic, spectral wave and sediment transport model- is applied to simulate this process. The results of this model will be analyzed to assess the morphological evolution as well as erosion and accretion process in the Chien and Cung Hau Estuary.