This research evaluates the applicability of different types of hydrological models to simulate discharge behavior scenarios in a northern Moroccan watershed, Oued Laou watershed (OLW). In this context, an improved understanding of the runoff mechanisms through hydrological modeling of the OLW can assist in the hazard risk management and facilitate the effective planning of water resources. For that end, a multitude of hydrological models were used to perform a very efficient modelling, and a comparative approach was adopted. Comparison of the models allowed the determination of potential sources of uncertainty in hydrological modelling of a subhumid watershed. Three models (ATelier Hydrologique Spatialisé (ATHYS), Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS), and Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT)) with different characteristics were employed for a continuous modelling approach. The models were calibrated and validated using observed daily rainfall and streamflow data for 4 years (2004–2008) and 3 years (2009–2011), respectively. The multi-criteria model comparison (R², NSE, RSR, and PBIAS) showed that all three models are capable of reproducing the observed flows. The SWAT model performed well over both periods (NSE = 0.76 for calibration), with an improvement in validation (NSE = 0.84). A good agreement was also observed in the HEC-HMS model outputs, with an approximately stable NSE of 0.77 and 0.78 for calibration and validation phases, respectively. The ATHYS model showed a NSE value of 0.67 during the calibration, with a decrease of 0.06 towards the validation period. The other performance criteria confirmed these findings. Additionally, results suggest that semi-distributed and conceptual hydrological models are particularly suitable for the OLW given their physical heterogeneity. Generally, the integration of these models may be suitable for water resources assessment in OLW.
The typical Mediterranean climate is marked at certain times of the year by sudden torrential rains causing high water flows, which leads to heavy flooding and hydroclimatic fluctuations due to a semi-arid climate. This explains the need for hydrological modeling for water resource management in these contexts. This work concerns the hydrological modeling of the Azzaba catchment area in Haut-Sebou "Morocco". In the first part of this work, a bibliographic synthesis was carried out to characterize certain factors (physical, geological and climatic), and a hydrological study was carried out by processing rainfall and hydrometric data from the considered time periods. Ultimately, the use of the "ATHYS" platform is beginning to reproduce the flows at the Azzaba outlet. This model is really applicable in the semi-arid context based on several studies carried out on these contexts, since it has to consider the chronological sequence of phenomena on one hand and the influence of the climatic and physicalhydrogeological parameters of the basin (humidity and soil exchange) on the other. Several criteria were used in this study to estimate the model performance; the most common is Nash-Sutcliffe. After observation and analysis of the overall results, it can be concluded that the model reproduces flows in the Azzaba River watershed well, especially in event mode (mean Nash-Sutcliffe value of 0.71). The use of a historical meteorological time series to simulate flow using a daily time step gives average results with a Nash of 0.50, which strengthens the reliability of the ATHYS platform in the Mediterranean climate area.
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