International G-WADI Modelling Workshop

28th February- 5th March 2005

National Institute of Hydrology
Jal Vigyan Bhawan, Roorkee
247 667, INDIA

Sponsored by

• UNESCO G-WADI Network and Beijing, New Delhi and Tehran Offices
• IHP-UNESCO Paris
• DFID United Kingdom
• G-WADI Network for South, Central and East Asia
• Indian National Committee on Hydrology
• Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee
• UNESCO G-Wadi Network
• UNESCO Tehran Office
• UNESCO New Delhi Office
• UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme (IHP), Paris
• Department for International Development (DFID), UK
• G-WADI Network for South and Central Asia
• Indian National Committee on Hydrology (INCOH)
• Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India
  

Organizers

Howard Wheater, Imperial College London
Soroosh Sorooshian, University of California
KD Sharma, Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee

Background

Hydrological modelling has an important role to play in most aspects of water and environmental management. These include the sustainable development of water resources, the integrated management of river basins, flood design and flood management, water quality management and the protection of ecological systems. However, modelling and application is problematic, particularly for arid and semi-arid areas, for several reasons:

1. The hydrological characteristics of arid and semi-arid areas pose particular difficulties, for example:

• The temporal variability of precipitation, runoff and associated groundwater recharge can be extreme (a year’s rainfall may fall in a single day; runoff from a single rare event may exceed total runoff from several years).
• The spatial variability of precipitation can also be extreme, particularly for convective rainfall
• Surface water hydrographs can be difficult to interpret due to transmission losses in flowing channels
• Groundwater recharge is often limited and highly uncertain and surface water-groundwater interactions are often not well understood
• Data are difficult to collect, and data availability is generally limited in terms of network density and record lengths

2. A wide variety of models and model types are available, and the strengths and limitations of alternative approaches are generally not fully appreciated

3. New approaches to model development and testing and the analysis of uncertainty are available, facilitated by increased computer power. As a result major progress is being made in areas of application such as modelling ungauged catchments. Although the research community is extensively adopting these methods, training is not widely available and application at practitioner level remains limited.

Objectives of the workshop

Given the above, G-WADI aims to provide modelling support to the regional centres and user community through:

• Provision of clear guidance concerning model strengths and limitations for arid and semi-arid zone application.
• Provision of access to appropriate software tools, including models and modelling environments.
• Provision of access to web-based training material.
• Compilation of case study application.

In the first instance, this will be delivered to the global community through the G-WADI web-site, although the regional centres may wish to build on this initiative by developing regional dissemination and training activities. The web-site material will be developed by commissioning state-of-the-art presentations by invited speakers, delivered within the context of a small workshop comprising arid zone modelling experts, model users (representative of the regional interests), and web-site specialists.

Main Topics of the Workshop (Provisional Programme)

28th February, 2005 – Day 1

Introduction

1. Arid zone processes, modelling challenges, overview of methodologies, Imperial models and Middle East Applications
   H.S.Wheater, Imperial College, London
   [PRESENTATION PDF - 5 Mb] [CHAPTER 1 PDF - 1.4 Mb]
   
   
2. New developments in real time availability of global hydro-meteorological data / data products and potential for flow forecasting
   Soroosh Sorooshian, University of California, Irvine
   [PRESENTATION PDF] [CHAPTER 2 PDF - .5 Mb]
   
   
3. Modelling experiences with HEC methods in Middle East.
   Radwan Radwan Al Al-Weshah, UNESCO Tehran Office
   [PRESENTATION PDF - 1 Mb] [CHAPTER 3 PDF - .2 Mb]
   
   
4. Case studies/Discussion: with Workshop Participants.

1st March, 2005 – Day 2

Modelling approaches and experience:

Lumped models

1. IHACRES and the Australian experience
   Tony Jakeman and Barry Croke, The Australian National University
   [PRESENTATION PDF - 18 Mb] [CHAPTER 4 PDF - .5 Mb]
   
   
2. Southern Africa experience and models
   Denis Hughes, Institute for Water Research
   Rhodes University Grahamstown, South Africa
   [PRESENTATION PDF - .5 Mb] [CHAPTER 5 PDF - .9 Mb]
   
   
   Distributed models
   
   
3. Distributed modelling – KINEROS
   Darius Semmens, David Goodrich, Carl Unkrich,
   Roger Smith, David Woolhiser, and Scott Miller
   [PRESENTATION PDF - 7 Mb] [CHAPTER 6 PDF - 2.5 Mb]
   
   
4. Distributed modelling – Indian experience
   K. D. Sharma
   [PRESENTATION PDF - 14 Mb] [CHAPTER 7 PDF - .2 Mb]
   
   
5. Computer workshop

2nd March, 2005 – Day 3

1. USGS Modelling toolbox
   G.H. Leavesley, S.L. Markstrom,
   R.J. Viger, and L.E. Hay, U.S.G.S., Denver
   [PRESENTATION PDF - 8 Mb] [CHAPTER 8 PDF - 4 Mb]
   
   
2. Calibration, uncertainty and regionalisation
   Howard Wheater, Neil McIntyre and
   Thorsten Wagener
   [PRESENTATION PDF - 3 Mb] [CHAPTER 9 PDF - .5 Mb]
   
   
3. Real-time forecasting tools and applications
   Peter C. Young, Australian National University
   [PRESENTATION PDF - 2 Mb] [CHAPTER 10 PDF - .5 Mb]
   
   
4. Real-time flood forecasting- Indian Experiences
   R. D. Singh, National Institute for Hydrology, Roorkee
   [PRESENTATION PDF - 4 Mb] [CHAPTER 11 PDF - 1 Mb]
   
   
5. Computer workshop

3rd March, 2005 –Day 4

Breakout groups to discuss:

1. Data
2. Models
3. Calibration and Uncertainty Analysis
4. Plenary discussion Close of open session
5. Speakers meeting to finalize structure of workshop product

4th March, 2005 –Day 5

GWADI Regional Network Meeting (South, Central and East Asia)

Participation

A panel of International Experts will provide state-of-the-art reviews, case studies and software demonstrations. Other participants, including representatives from the G-WADI Network, and other International and National Agencies, working in the area of hydrological modelling for arid and semi-arid areas, will be invited to share experiences.

One / two participant (s) from the countries in arid and semi-arid zones in South, Central and East Asian region will be invited to participate in the workshop. The technical committee reserves the right to select participants for this workshop. The participants need to present a country strategy paper on Country Paper on Water in Arid and Semi Arid Region from their respective countries. The tentative participating countries are China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Resource Persons

• Prof. Howard S. Wheater, Imperial College, London
• Prof. Soroosh Sorooshian, Univ. of California
• Dr. K.D. Sharma, NIH, India
• Dr. R.D. Singh, NIH, India
• Dr. Radwan Al-Washah, UNESCO, Cairo
• Prof. Denis Hughes, Rhodes Univ., S. Africa
• Prof. Tony Jakeman, ANU, Canberra
• Dr. Darius Semmens, USEPA, Las Vegas
• Dr. Barry Croke, ANU, Canberra
• Prof. Peter Young, Lancaster, UK and ANU Canberra
• Dr. George Leavesley, USGS, USA

Major News Categories:
(click on a category below to search the Water News database)

» climate change
» conservation
» desertification
» drought
» flood
» groundwater
» policies, treaties...
» quality issues
» recharge
» riparian areas
» salinity/brackish water
» technology
» water supply