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Innovations in Hydrology: Streamflow and Flood Prediction

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Hydrology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2025 | Viewed by 389

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College of Information, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
Interests: intelligent computing; water resources optimization; combinatorial optimization algorithm
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue focuses on the latest advancements and innovative approaches in streamflow and flood prediction within the field of hydrology. The integration of physical hydrological models with machine learning techniques, as well as deep learning ensemble predictions, has opened new avenues for more accurate and reliable forecasting. This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research that addresses the challenges and opportunities in this domain, facilitating the exchange of ideas and knowledge among the scientific community.

Main themes include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) Integration of Physical and Machine Learning Models: This includes studies on how machine learning can enhance the parameterization, calibration, and uncertainty quantification of physical models, as well as how physical understanding can improve the interpretability and generalization of machine learning models for streamflow and flood prediction.

(2) Deep Learning Ensemble Predictions: This involves the development of ensemble strategies that combine multiple deep learning models, the integration of deep learning with other forecasting methods, and the evaluation of ensemble performance in terms of accuracy, reliability, and computational efficiency.

(3) Case Studies and Applications: Real-world case studies demonstrating the successful implementation of these innovative approaches in different hydro-climatic regions are highly valuable.

(4) Uncertainty Analysis and Risk Assessment: This includes the development of probabilistic forecasting frameworks and the use of uncertainty analysis to support robust water management strategies.

In conclusion, this Special Issue on streamflow and flood prediction will serve as a vital platform. By highlighting the integration of physical models and machine learning, as well as deep learning ensembles, we strive to advance this field. These techniques will improve prediction accuracy, facilitating better flood prevention and water resource management, thus enhancing the resilience and sustainability of communities and ecosystems amid hydrological uncertainties.

Dr. Zhaocai Wang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • streamflow prediction
  • flood prediction
  • physical hydrological models
  • machine learning
  • deep learning
  • uncertainty quantification
  • flood risk assessment
  • water resource management

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 9973 KiB  
Article
Monthly Streamflow Forecasting for the Irtysh River Based on a Deep Learning Model Combined with Runoff Decomposition
by Kaiqiang Yong, Mingliang Li, Peng Xiao, Bing Gao and Chengxin Zheng
Water 2025, 17(9), 1375; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17091375 - 2 May 2025
Viewed by 233
Abstract
The mid- and long-term hydrological forecast is important for water resource management and disaster prevention. Moreover, mid- and long-term hydrological forecasts in the region with poorly observed field meteorological data are a great challenge for traditional hydrological models due to the complexity of [...] Read more.
The mid- and long-term hydrological forecast is important for water resource management and disaster prevention. Moreover, mid- and long-term hydrological forecasts in the region with poorly observed field meteorological data are a great challenge for traditional hydrological models due to the complexity of hydrological processes. To address this challenge, a machine learning model, particularly the deep learning model (DL), provides a new tool for improving the accuracy of runoff prediction. In this study, we took the Irtysh River, one of the longest rivers in Central Asia and a well-known trans-boundary river basin with poor field meteorological observations, as an example to develop a deep learning model based on LSTM and combined with runoff decomposition by Maximal Overlap Discrete Wavelet Transform (MODWT) to process target variables for predicting monthly streamflow. We also proposed an XGBoost-SHAP (Extreme Gradient Boost-SHapley Additive Explanations) method for the identification of predictors from large-scale indices for the streamflow forecast. The results suggest that MODWT shows the robustness of runoff decomposition between the training and test period. The deep learning model combined with MODWT shows better performance than the benchmark deep learning model without MODWT illustrated by an increased NSE. The XGBoost-SHAP method well identified the nonlinear relationship between the predictors and streamflow, and the predictors determined by XGBoost-SHAP can be physically explained. Compared with the traditional mutual information method, the XGBoost-SHAP method improves the accuracy of the deep learning model for streamflow forecast. The results of this study illustrate the ability of a deep learning model for mid- and long-term streamflow forecast, and the methods we developed in this study provide an effective approach to improve the streamflow prediction in the scarcely observed catchments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Hydrology: Streamflow and Flood Prediction)
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