Modeling Land Cover Land Use Change in the Krishna River Basin and Water Quality in the Mekong River Basin Using AI/ML Techniques

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

8:45 AM – 9:00 AM Alaska Daylight Time (AKDT)

Room: Room 6

Author(s)

Venkataramana Sridhar

Associate Professor
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, Virginia, United States

Co-Author (not attending)(s)

Sangwoo Kim

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, United States
Anuj Karpatne

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, Virginia, United States

Co-Author(s)

Paul Craig

DSI, LLC, United States

Co-Author (not attending)(s)

Szu-Ting Lee

DSI, LLC, United States

Abstract Submission: The Mekong River flows through Southeast Asia and has been subjected to both natural and anthropogenic-induced changes over the last several decades. The agricultural sector in the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) accounts for 24% of GDP and 20% of export revenue in the country's economy. Climate, irrigation water availability, and soil fertility all have an impact on rice production. Salinity impacts roughly 2.1 million hectares of coastal areas in the Mekong Delta each year. Despite being one of the world's largest nutrient-rich sediment rivers, the Mekong River's nutrient-rich sediment load is steadily declining. Using the Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code Plus (EFDC+) and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), we investigate the combined effect of upstream flow reduction caused by land use and land cover changes, climate change, and their impact on salinity intrusion. We present the review of literature, current state of affairs in the basin and the preliminary results from the EFDC+ and SWAT model simulations and their potential impact on crop yield in the delta region.

Learning Objectives/Expected Outcome (Optional) :