RIBASIM can be used for several types of assessments. The types of analysis addressed by the model are the following:

Evaluation of the limits on resources and/or the potential for development in a region or basin: 

• Given the available water resources and their natural variations, to what extent can a river basin be developed in terms of reservoirs, irrigation schemes, water supply systems, while avoiding unacceptable shortages for users? 
• When and where will conflicts between water users occur? 
• Which combination of infrastructure and operational management will provide an optimum use of the available resources?

Evaluation of measures to improve the water supply or water quality situation: 

• Measures concerning changes in the infrastructure;
• Operational management choices of water allocation and/or water sector infrastructure;
• Sector-specific demand management options;

Evaluation of the origin of water for every location in the river basin as a first step towards an actual water quality analysis. Without the necessity of having available information with regard to waste loads, waste water discharges and water quality of (upstream) sources the effect of measures on the distribution of water from the various sources in the basin is calculated (influence area of a source of water).

Any river basin analysis which requires simulation of the water balance at the basin, regional or trans boundary scale. RIBASIM provides the means to prepare such system water balance with enough detail, taking for example into account re-use of water by different sectors, and providing a comprehensive set of results parameters with which to carry out the final analysis. In this way, RIBASIM results can be used directly for policy development studies, or indirectly as an input for sector specific overviews of water demand and use patterns.