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MIKE SHE Public Data Catalog

Vietnam

Version: 0.1 test template
Purpose: Country-specific public dataset catalog for building simple to advanced MIKE SHE models
Region: Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Red River Delta, Central region, Central Highlands, Mekong Delta)

Quick Start

Minimum Public Datasets for Recharge Modelling with MIKE SHE (Vietnam)

If your objective is to calculate distributed groundwater recharge (without simulating groundwater flow or rivers), only five dataset categories are required.

National DEMs and most station data are restricted or charged, so the core stack relies on global datasets. For the Mekong Delta, a corrected delta DEM and the Mekong River Commission data are essential.

MIKE SHE Input Dataset Type Recommended Dataset Spatial Availability Why recommended
Topography (DEM) Gridded FABDEM

Mekong Delta elevation model (Minderhoud et al., 2019) for the Mekong Delta		 Global / Mekong Delta Global DEMs overestimate delta elevations by metres; the corrected delta DEM is needed for flood, salinity and subsidence studies.
Land Cover Gridded ESA WorldCover

SERVIR-Mekong Regional Land Cover Monitoring System		 Global / Lower Mekong WorldCover for 10 m detail; SERVIR-Mekong for annual time series.
Soil Hydraulic Properties Gridded SoilGrids Global Pedotransfer functions required; acid sulphate soils in the deltas need special attention.
Precipitation Gridded CHIRPS (daily)

GSMaP / GPM IMERG (sub-daily)		 Vietnam Complete coverage; bias correction needed for the central coast typhoon season.
Time Series National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (VNMHA)

Mekong River Commission Data Portal		 Nationwide / Mekong National station data are charged; MRC data cover Mekong stations.
Meteorological Forcing / Potential ET Gridded ERA5-Land Global Hourly variables for FAO-56 reference ET.
Time Series National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Stations By request with fees.

Optional Improvements

Dataset Purpose
APHRODITE Historical daily gridded rainfall
Sentinel-1 SAR Flood mapping and InSAR subsidence
Mekong River Commission Data Portal Mekong discharge and water levels
GLEAM Actual ET validation
  1. Download FABDEM (or the Mekong Delta DEM) for the model domain.
  2. Delineate the model domain and prepare the terrain model.
  3. Download ESA WorldCover and assign MIKE SHE vegetation classes.
  4. Download SoilGrids and derive van Genuchten parameters using pedotransfer functions.
  5. Choose your meteorological forcing:
  6. Option A (recommended): Use CHIRPS or GSMaP/IMERG, bias-corrected with available gauges, and ERA5-Land for other variables.
  7. Option B: Use purchased VNMHA station data.
  8. Let MIKE SHE calculate evapotranspiration internally using the selected vegetation and soil parameters.
  9. Represent rice ponding and multiple cropping seasons.
  10. Check simulated actual ET against GLEAM or MODIS MOD16.
  11. Export the distributed groundwater recharge for use in MODFLOW, FEFLOW, or other groundwater models.

1. Introduction for advanced data sources

1.1 Purpose

This document summarizes public datasets that can be used to construct a physically based MIKE SHE model for Vietnam.

The catalog is organized according to the typical MIKE SHE model-building workflow. It covers terrain, land cover, meteorological forcing, ET, rivers, soils, hydrogeology, groundwater, water management, and calibration.

1.2 Intended Use

This catalog is intended for:

  • Mekong Delta groundwater, subsidence and salinity studies
  • Red River Delta and Hanoi groundwater studies
  • central-coast flood studies
  • Central Highlands groundwater and irrigation (coffee)
  • applied MIKE SHE model setup

1.3 General Notes for Vietnam

  • Datum VN-2000, typically with UTM zones 48/49 or the VN-2000 TM-3 zones.
  • In 2025 the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development merged into the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment; portals may move.
  • The Law on Water Resources 2023 restricts groundwater abstraction in subsidence and salinity-affected areas.

2. Hydrological Characteristics of Vietnam

2.1 Climate

  • tropical monsoon in the south, subtropical with a cool winter in the north
  • rainy season May–October in the north and south; September–December on the central coast
  • frequent typhoons and extreme floods on the central coast
  • annual rainfall roughly 1,200–3,000 mm, locally higher
  • El Niño droughts with severe delta salinity intrusion (e.g. 2016, 2020)

2.2 Topography

  • Red River Delta in the north
  • Annamite range and narrow central coastal plains
  • Central Highlands basalt plateaus
  • Mekong Delta, mostly below 1–2 m elevation

2.3 Major Hydrological Challenges

  • Mekong Delta land subsidence (centimetres per year) from groundwater pumping
  • salinity intrusion in rivers and aquifers
  • reduced sediment supply from upstream dams
  • arsenic in Red River Delta groundwater
  • groundwater depletion in the Central Highlands
  • central-coast floods

2.4 Major Aquifer Systems

Important aquifer settings include:

  • Mekong Delta multi-layer system (seven main aquifers from Holocene to Miocene)
  • Red River Delta Holocene and Pleistocene aquifers (Hanoi)
  • Central Highlands basalt aquifers
  • coastal sand-dune aquifers in the south-central coast

3. Recommended Dataset Stack

Component Recommended Dataset Alternative Dataset Importance
DEM FABDEM Mekong Delta elevation model (Minderhoud et al., 2019), Copernicus GLO-30 ★★★★★
Land cover ESA WorldCover SERVIR-Mekong Regional Land Cover Monitoring System ★★★★★
Precipitation CHIRPS GSMaP, GPM IMERG, APHRODITE ★★★★★
Climate forcing ERA5-Land National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting ★★★★★
Rivers MERIT Hydro Mekong River Commission Data Portal ★★★★★
Soil SoilGrids National soil maps (by request) ★★★☆☆
Hydrogeology NAWAPI WHYMAP ★★★★☆
Groundwater heads NAWAPI Research datasets ★★★★☆
Streamflow Mekong River Commission Data Portal National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting ★★★★★
Subsidence Sentinel-1 InSAR Levelling ★★★★★
Actual ET GLEAM MODIS MOD16 ★★★☆☆

4. Terrain Model

4.1 Purpose in MIKE SHE

Terrain data are required for model surface elevation, overland-flow gradients, surface storage, catchment delineation, river network verification, and floodplain connectivity.

4.2 Dataset Comparison

Dataset Coverage Resolution MIKE SHE Suitability Advantages Limitations Recommendation
FABDEM Global 30 m Primary Canopy removed Delta bias ★★★★☆
Mekong Delta elevation model (Minderhoud et al., 2019) Mekong Delta ~30 m Delta models Corrected to local datum Delta only ★★★★★
Copernicus GLO-30 Global 30 m Backup Consistent Delta bias ★★★☆☆

4.3 Typical Preprocessing

  • reproject to VN-2000 or UTM 48/49
  • clip to model domain plus buffer
  • condition drainage and check against the river network
  • resample to model grid
  • smooth only where needed for numerical stability

4.4 Quality Checks

  • check delta elevations against the corrected DEM
  • include dikes and canals in the Mekong Delta
  • account for subsidence since acquisition

5. Surface Water

5.1 Rivers

Dataset Coverage MIKE SHE / MIKE 1D Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
Mekong River Commission Data Portal Mekong basin Mekong gauges and data Transboundary Mekong only ★★★★★
MERIT Hydro Global Flow directions Consistent 90 m ★★★★☆
OpenStreetMap Vietnam Canals Free Incomplete ★★☆☆☆

5.2 Lakes, Reservoirs and Wetlands

Dataset Use Recommendation
JRC Global Surface Water Water occurrence ★★★★☆
Sentinel-1 SAR Flood extent ★★★★★
Global Mangrove Watch Mangroves ★★★★☆

5.3 Mekong Delta Canals and Dikes

  • dense canal network and high dikes controlling flood season rice
  • tidal influence and salinity intrusion from the sea
  • sluice gates for salinity control

5.4 Typical Preprocessing

  • simplify river network
  • align river network with DEM
  • define channel geometry from surveys or estimated widths
  • represent floodplains and wetlands as overland-flow storage
  • assign river, reservoir and tidal boundary conditions

6. Land Cover and Vegetation

6.1 Purpose in MIKE SHE

Land cover and vegetation define interception, ET parameters, root depth, crop coefficients, Manning roughness, irrigation zones, and impervious areas.

6.2 Dataset Comparison

Dataset Coverage Resolution MIKE SHE Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
ESA WorldCover Global 10 m Primary Detailed 2020–2021 ★★★★☆
SERVIR-Mekong Regional Land Cover Monitoring System Lower Mekong 30 m Time series Annual Regional classes ★★★★☆

6.3 Vegetation Datasets

Parameter Dataset Use Recommendation
LAI MODIS MCD15A3H Seasonal LAI ★★★★☆
NDVI Sentinel-2 / Landsat Crop calendars and phenology ★★★★☆
Crop coefficient FAO-56 Rice, coffee, fruit trees, shrimp ponds ★★★★☆

6.4 Typical Preprocessing

  • separate rice (two or three crops per year), fruit orchards, shrimp ponds, coffee, forest and urban
  • define rice cropping calendars

7. Meteorological Forcing

7.1 Precipitation

Dataset Coverage Resolution Temporal Resolution MIKE SHE Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
CHIRPS 50°S–50°N ~5 km Daily Long-term Gauge-blended Daily only ★★★★★
GSMaP Global ~10 km Hourly Events Good in Asia Bias ★★★★☆
APHRODITE Monsoon Asia 0.25° Daily History Gauge-based Ends 2015 ★★★☆☆
National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Vietnam Point Daily Bias correction Official Charged ★★★★☆

7.2 Climate Variables

Variable Recommended Dataset Alternatives MIKE SHE Use
Air temperature ERA5-Land National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting ET
Wind speed ERA5-Land National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Penman-Monteith
Humidity ERA5-Land National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Vapour-pressure deficit
Solar radiation ERA5-Land National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, NASA POWER ET energy term
Reference ET FAO-56 from ERA5-Land TerraClimate PET forcing

7.3 Notes

  • use typhoon-season sub-daily forcing for central floods

8. Soil Data

8.1 Dataset Comparison

Dataset Coverage Resolution MIKE SHE Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
SoilGrids Global 250 m Primary Gridded Few local profiles ★★★☆☆
National soil maps Vietnam Mapped units Refinement Local By request ★★★☆☆

8.2 Typical Preprocessing

  • identify acid sulphate soils in deltas
  • use basalt-derived soil parameters in the Central Highlands

9. Hydrogeology

9.1 Dataset Comparison

Dataset Coverage Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
NAWAPI Vietnam Hydrogeological maps and aquifer data National By request ★★★★★
WHYMAP Global Screening Consistent Coarse ★★☆☆☆

9.2 Conceptual Model Recommendations

  • multi-aquifer delta systems with clay aquitards and compaction
  • paleo-saline groundwater in delta aquifers
  • basalt aquifers with high recharge

10. Groundwater Data

Dataset Coverage Use Recommendation
NAWAPI monitoring network Deltas and key regions Heads and quality ★★★★★
Published research datasets Mekong and Red River deltas Heads and subsidence ★★★★☆

11. Water Management

11.1 Relevant Processes

  • rice irrigation and flood-season water control
  • groundwater pumping for cities and aquaculture
  • reservoirs and hydropower
  • salinity control gates

11.2 Regulatory Framework

  • Law on Water Resources 2023
  • groundwater licensing and restricted zones
  • transboundary cooperation through the MRC

11.3 Key Institutions

Topic Institution
Water resources and environment Ministry of Agriculture and Environment
Groundwater NAWAPI
Hydrometeorology National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting
Mekong Mekong River Commission Data Portal

12. Remote Sensing Products

Dataset Resolution Use Recommendation
Sentinel-1 SAR 10 m Flood mapping, InSAR subsidence, wetness under cloud ★★★★★
Sentinel-2 10 m Land cover, irrigation and crop calendars ★★★★☆
GLEAM ~25 km Actual ET ★★★☆☆
MODIS MOD16 500 m Actual ET ★★★☆☆
SMAP / ESA CCI Soil Moisture ~9–25 km Soil moisture ★★★☆☆
GRACE / GRACE-FO ~300 km Large-basin storage change ★★☆☆☆

13. Calibration Datasets

Target Dataset Use Recommendation
Discharge and levels Mekong River Commission Data Portal Mekong calibration ★★★★★
Heads NAWAPI SZ calibration ★★★★★
Subsidence Sentinel-1 InSAR Compaction ★★★★★
Flood extent Sentinel-1 SAR Floodplain ★★★★☆

Recommended strategy: in the deltas, calibrate heads and subsidence jointly.

14. Typical MIKE SHE Workflow

  1. Define modelling objective and domain.
  2. Prepare the DEM from FABDEM or the Mekong Delta DEM.
  3. Build the river network from MERIT Hydro and MRC data.
  4. Prepare land cover from WorldCover and SERVIR-Mekong.
  5. Assign vegetation parameters, rooting depths and crop calendars.
  6. Prepare precipitation from CHIRPS or GSMaP.
  7. Prepare climate forcing and reference ET from ERA5-Land.
  8. Prepare soil properties from SoilGrids.
  9. Build hydrogeological layers from NAWAPI maps.
  10. Add pumping and irrigation from NAWAPI and provincial licensing data.
  11. Couple rivers and groundwater.
  12. Calibrate against MRC discharge and NAWAPI heads.
  13. Validate with InSAR subsidence and flood extents.
  14. Document assumptions and uncertainties.

15. Minimum Dataset Package

Model Element Dataset
DEM FABDEM
Land cover ESA WorldCover
Precipitation CHIRPS
Climate ERA5-Land
Soils SoilGrids
Hydrogeology WHYMAP

16. Recommended Dataset Package

Model Element Dataset
DEM Mekong Delta DEM + FABDEM
Hydrogeology NAWAPI
Heads NAWAPI
Discharge MRC
Subsidence Sentinel-1 InSAR

17. Premium Dataset Package

Dataset Type Possible Source Purpose
LiDAR Projects Terrain
Pumping inventories Provinces Pumping stress
Levelling / GNSS Research Subsidence

18. Dataset Comparison Table Template

Dataset Coverage Spatial Resolution Temporal Resolution Time Period Format API / Access License MIKE SHE Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
★☆☆☆☆

19. Data Preparation Checklist

Terrain

  • [ ] DEM downloaded (or requested) and licence checked
  • [ ] DEM projected and clipped
  • [ ] drainage checked against river network

Surface Water

  • [ ] river network prepared
  • [ ] reservoirs, wetlands and floodplains identified
  • [ ] boundary conditions assigned

Land Cover and Vegetation

  • [ ] land cover reclassified
  • [ ] irrigated areas and crop calendars defined
  • [ ] LAI and rooting depths assigned

Weather

  • [ ] precipitation prepared and compared with station data
  • [ ] climate forcing prepared
  • [ ] reference ET calculated

Soil

  • [ ] soil data downloaded or requested
  • [ ] hydraulic parameters derived

Groundwater

  • [ ] geology and hydrogeology collected
  • [ ] heads and pumping data requested
  • [ ] boundary conditions defined

Calibration and Validation

  • [ ] discharge data obtained
  • [ ] ET and remote-sensing validation data prepared
  • [ ] calibration and validation periods defined

Vietnam-specific

  • [ ] delta DEM correction applied
  • [ ] NAWAPI data request made
  • [ ] salinity boundaries defined

20. References and Official Data Portals

National and regional sources

Global sources

21. Notes on Uncertainty

  • delta elevation and subsidence
  • unregistered pumping
  • salinity distribution
  • upstream flow changes

A defensible model should document dataset choices, preprocessing assumptions, calibration strategy, validation results, and known limitations.