Watershed science: Coupling hydrological science and water resources management

Abstract

While there have been advancements in hydrological science and water resources management, the world continues to face a water‐supply crisis. In light of studies that report the missing links to be (i) effective collaborations between researchers and practitioners and (ii) interdisciplinary working, we promote the benefits of Watershed Science to address these gaps. Watershed Science incorporates basin hydrology, determines water resource thresholds, promotes water governance that forms partnerships between institutions, and enacts participatory decision making in water resources management. However, such partnerships must recognize the differential power and interests of different actors to ensure that outcomes are not skewed in favour of particular interests. It adds value to existing water management programs and has great potential for bringing disciplines and decision making together to address the global water crisis.

Assessment of Nitrate in Groundwater from Diffuse Sources Considering Spatiotemporal Patterns of Hydrological Systems Using a Coupled SWAT/MODFLOW/MT3DMS Model

“…Mathematical modeling in hydrology is a widely used tool for the evaluation of various problems associated with water resources [17][18][19][20] and groundwater management [21,22]. Some authors developed surface runoff models to quantify the surface runoff of a basin [23], highlighting the importance of basin-level studies like a fundamental unit for the study of water resources in surface systems [24,25]. Examples of mathematical rainfall runoff models are Témez [26], Sacramento [27], and the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method [28].…”