Flood susceptibility mapping using geomorphologic approaches is effective for delineating ?ood extent and various degrees of potential ?ood-affected areas. This approach is useful where the channel system and ?oodplain morphology change dynamically and in regions where detailed digital elevation models are not available. The ?rst important step in ?ood zonation using this approach is detailed geomorphologic mapping, also called landform classi?cation. This study aims to describe landform classi?cation using the rule-based method of Ho et al. (Int J Geoinform 8(4):27–38, 2012) adapted to local characteristics in the western plain of the Red River delta, northern Vietnam. The original classi?cation scheme is generally based on the moist condition classi?cation, local land-surface parameters, and relative position indices derived from multi-temporal Landsat data and a shuttle radar topographic mission digital elevation model (SRTM DEM). This study uses average elevations and the standard deviation of elevations as local land-surface parameters rather than local relief, which was used in the study by Ho et al. (Int J Geoinform 8(4):27–38, 2012). Multi-temporal land cover classi?cation was performed using an integrated method to effectively correct the SRTM DEM. The overall classi?cation is consistent with manual mapping by visual comparison. The quantitative comparison between landform units and past ?ood-affected areas demonstrates a precise boundary delineation of landform objects using this method. The high agreement between