Modeling interactions between tides, storm surges, and river discharges in the Kapuas River delta

The Kapuas River delta is a unique estuary system on the western coast of the island of Borneo, Indonesia. Its hydrodynamics are driven by an interplay between storm surges, tides, and river discharges. These interactions are likely to be exacerbated by global warming, leading to more frequent compound flooding in the area. The mechanisms driving compound flooding events in the Kapuas River delta remain, however, poorly known. Here we attempt to fill this gap by assessing the interactions between river discharges, tides, and storm surges and how they can drive a compound inundation over the riverbanks, particularly within Pontianak, the main city along the Kapuas River. We simulated these interactions using the multi-scale hydrodynamic model SLIM (Second-generation Louvain-laNeuve Ice-ocean Model). Our model correctly reproduces the Kapuas River's hydrodynamics and its interactions with tides and storm surge from the Karimata Strait. We considered several extreme-scenario test cases to evaluate the impact of tide-storm-discharge interactions on the maximum water level profile from the river mouth to the upstream part of the river. Based on the maximum water level profiles, we divide the Kapuas River's stream into three zones, i.e., the tidally dominated region (from the river mouth to about 30 km upstream), the transition region (from about 30 km to about 150 km upstream), and the river-dominated region (beyond 150 km upstream). Thus, the local water management can define proper mitigation for handling compound flooding hazards along the riverbanks by using this zoning category. The model also successfully reproduced a compound flooding event in Pontianak, which occurred on 29 December 2018. For this event, the wind-generated surge appeared to be the dominant trigger.

Automated summary

The Kapuas River delta in Indonesia is a unique estuary system driven by interactions between storm surges, tides, and river discharges. This study fills the gap in understanding compound flooding events by assessing these interactions and their impact on inundation along the riverbanks. The findings reveal the importance of local water management in mitigating compound flooding hazards.