Integrating socio-hydrological and climate models for improved water management under climate change

Increasing world population, economic development, and agricultural irrigation are leading to a steadily rising per capita demand for water. Climate change exacerbates water scarcity and affects the frequency of extreme hydrological events. Irrigation and improved water management practices can help mitigate climate change impacts by optimizing water use. However, these practices can also impact the local and regional climate. For instance, large-scale irrigation changes humidity and can influence circulation patterns. Therefore, a coupled socio-hydrological and climate modeling system is required to thoroughly investigate the complex interplay between climatic and socio-economic changes.

To improve the analysis of water-climate interactions, we are developing climate CWatM (C-CWatM) - a flexible modelling tool that can be coupled to (regional) climate modelling systems. Based on the socio-hydrological model CWatM, the new tool enables the simulation of hydrological quantities (e.g., discharge), sectoral water use, groundwater, and water reservoirs as part of climate model simulations. C-CWatM is designed as a standalone Python model that can be integrated into various climate modelling systems as it operates on standard climate and land surface variables.

Here, we present first results of combined simulations of C-CWatM and the regional climate model REMO in Europe. While a one-way coupling can provide water use estimates as part of the climate model output, full coupling offers the transfer of water use information to the climate model. For example, the water amount available for irrigation can be used to constrain existing irrigation routines in REMO, enabling more realistic simulation of the effects of extensive irrigation on local and regional climate processes. These analyses offer valuable insights for future water management strategies and climate change adaptation.