Integrating remote sensing and GIS technology in monitoring salinity intrusion in Mekong River

Abstract

The traditional method used in monitoring salinity intrusion in Mekong River requires in-situ sampling which is costly and time consuming. This study introduces a remote sensing and GIS technique based solution for monitoring and building the thematic maps of the spatial and temporal distribution of salinity in water. The used data consisted of Landsat 8 images acquired at the same time as the data that were collected at 11 salinity measurement stations. The analysis results showed a significant correlation between the observed salinity data and brightness value of pixel in the first principal component image. The suitable regression equation was developed to realise the salinity intrusion by using Landsat time-series imagery, and the spatial analysis tools in GIS were used in developing maps of areas at risk for salinity intrusion along the Mekong River. The proposed method proved to be effective in monitoring, analysing impacts of salinity intrusion in different regions of the Mekong River Delta.