Chinese and European scientists have developed a new hydrological model for better prediction of water resources, especially for basins without runoff data, according to the East China Normal University in Shanghai.
Rainfall-runoff process plays an important role in the terrestrial water cycle. The accuracy of runoff prediction is essential for flooding prevention and alleviation, water resource management, water pollution control and aquatic ecosystem restoration.
But prediction is not easy since basins usually have very large area, often made up of thousands of square kilometers, said Gao Hongkai, a professor of East China Normal University, adding that complicated climates, terrain and vegetation conditions significantly impact the rainfall-runoff process.
Six scientists from China, the Netherlands, the UK and Germany, spent six years developing the new hydrological model, which does not need runoff data as a necessary input to fit the model parameters.
The new model has been tested with encouraging success in over 300 basins with various climates, vegetation, soil and terrain in the UK and the U.S.
It has great potential to also be used for water prediction in basins without runoff data in developing countries.