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Watershed Hydrology and Management under Changing Climate
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Watershed Hydrology and Management under Changing Climate

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 June 2025 | Viewed by 5026

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Hongbo Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. School of Water and Environment, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710054, China
2. Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology and Water Security in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions of the Ministry of Water Resources, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710054, China
3. Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effect in Arid Region of Ministry of Education, Chang’an University, Xi’an 710054, China
Interests: watershed hydrology; water resources allocation; drought assessment; flood simulation; climate change; land-use and land-cover change; reservior regulation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last 20 years, global climate change and the underlying surface changes have worsened. The basin's hydrological process has shown some concerning traits, such as non-stationarity, spatial heterogeneity, and interactive complexity, especially when human activities are taken into account. These characteristics have led to responsive changes in the ecohydrological process, the interaction process of surface water and groundwater, the spatiotemporal evolution process of drought and flood events, and the harmony between humans and water in the basin. This will surely present major challenges to water-related hazard prevention, hydrological modeling and forecasting, and the sustainable management of water resources under changing climate. To solve these problems and encourage both the harmony between humans and water and the high-quanlity growth of watersheds, scientists need to learn more about the hydrological changes that are happening in watersheds as a result of climate change and come up with better adaptive ways to deal with and manage them.

This Special Issue seeks contributions involving innovative methodologies or relevant case studies regarding topics, including, but not limited to, the following:

  1. Comprehensive responses of watershed hydrological processes to climate change and underlying surface changes;
  2. Novel methodology for watershed hydrological modeling and forecasting;
  3. New insights for watershed eco-hydrological processes and environmental flow management;
  4. Efficient strategies for watershed drought and flood risk management;
  5. Watershed socio-hydrology and new approaches for improving harmony between humans and water;
  6. Adaptive watershed water resources management and digital watershed system construction.

Prof. Dr. Hongbo Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Water is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cliamte change
  • hydrology modeling and forecasting
  • hydrological connectivity
  • groundwater–surface water interaction
  • ecohydrology
  • socio-hydrology
  • digital watershed
  • environmental flow
  • drought and flood risk management
  • integrated water resources management

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2514 KiB  
Article
Impact of Spatial Configuration of Bioretention Cells on Catchment Hydrological Performance Under Extreme Rainfall Conditions with Different Stormwater Flow Paths
by Xu Liu, Jun Huang, Sicheng Zheng, Li Wang, Yimin Huang and Zebin Yu
Water 2025, 17(2), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17020233 - 16 Jan 2025
Viewed by 631
Abstract
Bioretention cells (BCs) are widely used to manage urban runoff due to their positive impact on runoff control. Current research primarily focuses on optimizing the internal structural design of bioretention cells, while studies on the interactions between their spatial configuration, topography, and land [...] Read more.
Bioretention cells (BCs) are widely used to manage urban runoff due to their positive impact on runoff control. Current research primarily focuses on optimizing the internal structural design of bioretention cells, while studies on the interactions between their spatial configuration, topography, and land use types are limited. This study employs the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) and uses extreme rainfall to analyze the influence of typical stormwater flow paths, determined by various land use types and topography, as well as the spatial configurations of bioretention cells on catchment hydrological performance. The results show the following: (1) Different stormwater flow paths significantly affect catchment hydrological performance, with series-type pathways performing best. (2) The spatial configuration of bioretention cells significantly influences catchment hydrological performance. Decentralized BCs under series-type pathways showed better performance for reducing total outflow and peak runoff, with reduction rates increasing by 7.1% and 8.8%, while centralized BCs better delayed peak times. (3) Stormwater flow paths affect BC efficiency in catchment hydrological performance. Decentralized BCs under a series-type stormwater flow path are recommended for priority use. This study provides a novel perspective for optimizing the spatial arrangement of BCs and urban stormwater management, thereby contributing to flood risk mitigation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Watershed Hydrology and Management under Changing Climate)
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21 pages, 5674 KiB  
Article
Multi-Scale Spatial Relationship Between Runoff and Landscape Pattern in the Poyang Lake Basin of China
by Panfeng Dou, Yunfeng Tian, Jinfeng Zhang and Yi Fan
Water 2024, 16(23), 3501; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16233501 - 5 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 631
Abstract
Runoff research serves as the foundation for watershed management, and the relationship between runoff and landscape pattern represents a crucial basis for decision-making in the context of watershed ecological protection and restoration. However, there is a paucity of research investigating the multi-scale spatial [...] Read more.
Runoff research serves as the foundation for watershed management, and the relationship between runoff and landscape pattern represents a crucial basis for decision-making in the context of watershed ecological protection and restoration. However, there is a paucity of research investigating the multi-scale spatial relationship between runoff and landscape patterns. This study employs the Poyang Lake Basin (PLB) as a case study for illustrative purposes. The construction of the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model is the initial step in the process of carrying out runoff simulation, which in turn allows for the analysis of the spatial–temporal characteristics of runoff. Subsequently, Pearson’s correlation analysis, global linear regression and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models are employed to examine the impact of landscape composition on runoff. Finally, the spatial relationship between runoff and landscape pattern is investigated at the landscape and class scales. The results of the study demonstrate the following: (1) runoff in the PLB exhibited considerable spatial–temporal heterogeneity from 2011 to 2020. (2) Forest was the most prevalent landscape type within the PLB. Landscape composition’s impact on runoff exhibited non-linear characteristics, with forest, cropland, barren, and grassland influencing runoff in decreasing order. (3) A spatial relationship between runoff and landscape pattern was observed. At the landscape scale, patch diversity significantly influenced runoff, and reducing patch diversity primarily increased runoff. At the class scale, forest and cropland patch areas had the greatest impact on runoff, potentially enhanced by improving patch edge density. (4) Nine sub-basins needing ecological restoration were identified, with restoration pathways developed based on spatial relationships between runoff and landscape patterns. This study elucidates the impact of landscape composition and pattern on runoff, thereby providing a basis for informed decision-making and technical support for the ecological restoration and management of the watershed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Watershed Hydrology and Management under Changing Climate)
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30 pages, 10054 KiB  
Article
Identifying the Layout of Retrofitted Rainwater Harvesting Systems with Passive Release for the Dual Purposes of Water Supply and Stormwater Management in Northern Taiwan
by Hsin-Yuan Tsai, Chia-Ming Fan and Chao-Hsien Liaw
Water 2024, 16(20), 2894; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16202894 - 11 Oct 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1318
Abstract
Due to its unique climate and geography, Taiwan experiences abundant rainfall but still faces significant water scarcity. As a result, rainwater harvesting systems (RWHSs) have been recognized as potential water resources within both water legal and green building policies. However, the effects of [...] Read more.
Due to its unique climate and geography, Taiwan experiences abundant rainfall but still faces significant water scarcity. As a result, rainwater harvesting systems (RWHSs) have been recognized as potential water resources within both water legal and green building policies. However, the effects of climate change—manifested in more frequent extreme rainfall events and uneven rainfall distribution—have heightened the risks of both droughts and floods. This underscores the need to retrofit existing RWHSs to function as stormwater management tools and water supply sources. In Taiwan, the use of simple and cost-effective passive release systems is particularly suitable for such retrofits. Four key considerations are central to designing passive release RWHSs: the type of discharge outlet, the size of the outlet, the location of the outlet, and the system’s operational strategy. This study analyzes three commonly used outlet types—namely, the orifice, short stub fitting, and drainage pipe. Their respective discharge flow formulas and design charts have been developed and compared. To determine the appropriate outlet size, design storms with 2-, 5-, and 10-year return periods in the Taipei area were utilized to examine three different representative buildings. Selected combinations of outlet diameters and five different outlet locations were assessed. Additionally, probably hazardous rainfall events between 2014 and 2023 were used to verify the results obtained from the design storm analysis. Based on these analyses, the short stub fitting outlet type with a 15 mm outlet diameter was selected and verified. For determining the suitable discharge outlet location, a three-step process is recommended. First, the average annual water supply reliability for different scenarios and outlet locations in each representative building is calculated. Using this information, the maximum allowable decline in water supply reliability and the corresponding outlet location can be identified for each scenario. Second, break-even points between average annual water supply and regulated stormwater release curves, as well as the corresponding outlet locations, are identified. Finally, incremental analyses of average annual water supply and regulated stormwater release curves are conducted to determine the suitable outlet location for each scenario and representative building. For the representative detached house (DH), scenario 2, which designates 50% of the tank’s volume as detention space (i.e., the discharge outlet located halfway up the tank), and scenario 3, which designates 75% (i.e., the discharge outlet at one-quarter of the tank height), are the most suitable options. For the four-story building (FSB), the outlet located at one-quarter of the tank’s height is suitable for both scenarios 2 and 3. For the eight-story building (ESB), scenario 2, with the outlet at one-quarter of the tank’s height, and scenario 3, with the outlet at the lowest point on the tank’s side, are preferred. The framework developed in this study provides drainage designers with a systematic method for determining the key parameters in passive-release RWHS design at the household scale. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Watershed Hydrology and Management under Changing Climate)
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16 pages, 5945 KiB  
Article
Hydrological Data Projection Using Empirical Mode Decomposition: Applications in a Changing Climate
by Che-Wei Chang, Jung-Chen Lee and Wen-Cheng Huang
Water 2024, 16(18), 2669; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16182669 - 19 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 957
Abstract
This paper demonstrates the effectiveness and superiority of Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) in projecting non-stationary hydrological data. The study focuses on daily Sea Surface Temperature (SST) sequences in the Niño 3.4 region and uses EMD to forecast the probability of El Niño events. [...] Read more.
This paper demonstrates the effectiveness and superiority of Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) in projecting non-stationary hydrological data. The study focuses on daily Sea Surface Temperature (SST) sequences in the Niño 3.4 region and uses EMD to forecast the probability of El Niño events. Applying the Mann–Kendall test at the 5% significance level reveals a significant increasing trend in SST changes in this region, particularly noticeable after 1980. This trend is associated with the occurrence of El Niño and La Niña events, which have a recurrence interval of approximately 8.4 years and persist for over a year. The modified Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) proposed in this study demonstrates high forecast accuracy, with 97.56% accuracy for El Niño and 89.80% for La Niña events. Additionally, the EMD of SST data results in 13 Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) and a residual component. The oscillation period increases with each IMF level, with IMF7 exhibiting the largest amplitude, fluctuating between ±1 °C. The residual component shows a significant upward trend, with an average annual increase of 0.0107 °C. These findings reveal that the EMD-based data generation method overcomes the limitations of traditional hydrological models in managing non-stationary sequences, representing a notable advancement in data-driven hydrological time series modeling. Practically, the EMD-based 5-year moving process can generate daily sea temperature sequences for the coming year in this region, offering valuable insights for assessing El Niño probabilities and facilitating annual updates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Watershed Hydrology and Management under Changing Climate)
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13 pages, 15386 KiB  
Article
Impact of Human Development on the Phenomenon of Surface Runoff Crossing Adjacent Watershed Boundaries
by WeiCheng Lo, Chang-Mien Wang, Chih-Tsung Huang and Meng-Hsuan Wu
Water 2024, 16(13), 1831; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16131831 - 27 Jun 2024
Viewed by 985
Abstract
The concept of watersheds, also called catchments, is fundamental to both flood mitigation and water resource management, as it greatly aids in the calculation of overland flow attributes. Watershed boundaries are typically determined by elevation, as water adheres to the geological characteristics of [...] Read more.
The concept of watersheds, also called catchments, is fundamental to both flood mitigation and water resource management, as it greatly aids in the calculation of overland flow attributes. Watershed boundaries are typically determined by elevation, as water adheres to the geological characteristics of watersheds under natural circumstances and does not cross watershed boundaries. However, advances in human development have caused elevation and land usage changes, and boundaries between adjacent watersheds in downstream areas with flat terrain have become unclear and unstable. This study chose the Kaoping River watershed and Donggang River watershed as the study area, to investigate the cross-watershed runoff phenomenon under different return period rainfall. Based on land use surveys of the study area, the area in proximity to the boundary between the two watersheds was highly developed, with land primarily used for agriculture, buildings, and transportation. As the study area was highly developed, cross-watershed runoff was observed, even in the 2-year return period rainfall simulation case. The size and depth of the areas where cross-watershed runoff occurred became stable in the simulation cases, with return periods of 25 years or greater due to the surrounding high-elevation terrain obstructing further surface runoff development. Thus, when planning for flood mitigation, cross-watershed runoff from adjacent watersheds must also be considered, in addition to normal surface runoff. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Watershed Hydrology and Management under Changing Climate)
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