Large-scale hydrological simulations using the soil water assessment tool, protocol development, and application in...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Hydrology
• Water Resource Management

Background:

• The European Union's Water Framework Directive mandates good ecological status for all water bodies.
• Pan-European water resource assessment is crucial for implementing environmental legislation effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present a methodology for predicting pan-European surface water flow.
• To apply this methodology to the Danube pilot basin for assessing water resources.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for large-scale hydrological modeling.
• Employed cluster analysis for hydrological regionalization and multiobjective calibration (manual and automated).
• Integrated land use, soil parameters, and high-resolution climate data for 4663 subwatersheds in the Danube Basin.

Main Results:

• Successfully modeled surface water flow across the Danube Basin.
• The proposed modeling protocol addressed challenges of regionalization and calibration effectively.
• Modeled discharges accurately captured the overall hydrological behavior of the basin.

Conclusions:

• The developed methodology is suitable for pan-European surface water flow prediction.
• The approach provides a valuable tool for water resource management and environmental policy implementation.
• Successful application in the Danube Basin demonstrates the protocol's robustness and scalability.