Application of Distributed Deterministic Hydrological Model in Mediterranean Region, Case Study in Var Catchment, France

Abstract

During last decade, due to intensification of urbanization, connections between human and nature become more closed. Through hydro-informatics applications, such as hydrological or hydraulic model simulations, for local water managers, their knowledge and understanding of regional hydrological characteristics can be strongly improved. Among different kinds of hydrological models, the deterministic distributed hydrological model (MIKE SHE), shows obvious advantages in integrate representing multiple hydrological processes in catchment water cycle and producing more accuracy and detail results at any places on the simulation domain. This research is in project of AquaVar, which aims to create one model-based DSS in Var catchment at French Mediterranean Region. The main objective of this study is to build one deterministic distributed hydrological model through one optimized modelling strategy, which is able to overcome to problems caused by missing data, to well represent the complicated hydrological system in Var catchment. Based on a series of hydrological assessments and model testes, under reasonable hypothesized conditions, the model of MIKE SHE was calibrated from 2008 to 2011 and validated from 2011 to 2013 with daily time interval. With high statistical performance and can well presentation of the floods occurred during simulation period, the model results is able to be applied in AquaVar DSS for real time simulation and forecasting further scenarios. Besides, the modelling strategy conceived in this research can be also applied for building deterministic distributed hydrological models in other similar area.