Plastic monitoring in the Red River by Thi Van Le Khoa
About the project
Promotors/ supervisors: Dr. ir. T.H.M. (Tim) Van Emmerik - WUR (Wageningen University & Research), Prof. dr. ir. A.J.F. (Ton) Hoitink - WUR
Plastic pollution in rivers negatively impacts human livelihood and aquatic life. To plan effective prevention, mitigation and cleanup strategies, a thorough understanding and accurate quantification of river plastic transport is necessary. An Integrated Monitoring of Plastic in Rivers, Estuaries and Seas (IMPRES) will develop an innovative integrated approach to quantify riverine plastic pollution in the Red River and monitor the effect of interventions. IMPRES combines state-of-the-art remote sensing technology, in situ measurement methods, and hydrological modeling. This research will use the Red River in Vietnam as a case study, assumed to be among the most polluted in the world.
Plastic transport from source to sea is complex. Plastic leakage into the environment is related to anthropogenic and hydrometeorological factors (Zone 1). Riverine plastic transport depends on river characteristics and flow regime (Zone 2). Emission into the ocean is influenced by tidal dynamics in the estuary (Zone 3). The objective of IMPRES is to develop the first integrated approach including all zones. The following questions will guide the project:
- How to quantify urban plastic leakage hotspots?
- What processes drive riverine plastic transport?
- How much plastic is emitted from the Red River into the ocean?
- How can the Red River plastic transport be decreased most effectively?
The first three questions directly link to each of the zones, and aim to improve the fundamental understanding of the problem. The last question aims to provide data-driven recommendations to local stakeholders. The integrated approach combines zone-specific methods:
- Zone 1 – Urban sources: Plastic waste hotspot mapping using satellite imagery, and field surveys through student projects and citizen science data collection.
- Zone 2 – River transport: Open source 2D hydrologic/hydrodynamic modeling (HECHMS/RAS), field surveys through student projects.
- Zone 3 – The estuary: In-situ field surveys at river mouth with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, plastic transport modeling in tidal zones (Delft 3D).
Publications
1. Bach Thao Nguyen, Thi Van Le Khoa (2017). SWAT-MODFLOW Integration in Assessing Groundwater Potential in the Ba River Basin. Proceedings of International Conference on Sustainable Ground Water Development. ISBN 978-604-62-9769-7. P.131-145;
2. Thi Van Le Khoa, Do Xuan Khanh (2017). Assessing Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) for Flow Simulation in the Dong Nai River Basin By SWAT Model. Vietnamese Journal of Science on Natural Resources and Environment. No.18-2017. P.39-49;
3. Thi Van Le Khoa, Martine Rutten, Wim Bastiaanssen (2016). Ecosystem Services Assessment: Use of Remotely Sensed Data to Retrieve Suspended Sediment Concentrations in Small Waters. VACI2016. Hanoi, Vietnam;
4. Thi Van Le Khoa et al., (2016). Engaging Remote Sensing and Citizen Science into Water Quality Monitoring: A Case Study in the Nhue-Day River Basin. Oral presentation. EGU2016. Vienna;
5. Thi Van Le Khoa, Nguyen Cao Don, Bui Du Duong (2014). Basin Water Allocation and Analysis, Proc. IAHR Asian-Pacific Division Congress (on USB pen), Vietnam, 21-24 September 2014, 7 pp.
About Thi Van Le Khoa
Thi Van Le Khoa has a bachelor in Water Resources Engineering and a Master in Integrated Water Resources Management, both from Thuyloi University. After graduation in 2015, he started working at the Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment (HUNRE) as a lecturer. His teaching mainly focuses on hydraulic/rainfall-runoff models, GIS applications, and satellite imageries analysis. Khoa is very interested in applying remote sensing techniques and hydrological investigation methods to address riverine challenges. Khoa is furthermore the lead of the Youth Union of Water Resources Faculty at HUNRE and part of the Young Experts (YEP) Programmes. In his free time he enjoys reading and creating/editing videos.
