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CRC PUBLICATIONS |
The Status of Catchment Modelling in Australia
Frances Marston,
Robert Argent,
Rob Vertessy,
Susan Cuddy,
Joel Rahman
Publication Type:
Technical Report
This is a publication of the current CRC for Catchment Hydrology
CRC Program:
Predicting Catchment Behaviour
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Publication Keywords:
Catchment Areas
Modelling (Hydrological)
Survey
Standards
Kits
Design Data
Reviews
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Abstract / Summary:
Introduction
The Catchment Modelling Toolkit
Modern catchment management requires that policy development, planning and intervention be undertaken in an integrated fashion, with consideration given to physical, ecological, economic and social systems. With this in mind, the CRC for Catchment Hydrology has initiated the development of a 'catchment modelling toolkit'. The ambition is to equip land and water managers, researchers and educators with an integrated collection of software tools and components designed to simulate holistic catchment response to management and climate variability, at a range of scales and using a variety of approaches.
It is recognised that models used in catchment prediction have often been developed for specific research problems or locations by individuals using software engineering practices that are now considered obsolete. The legacy of this is a range of models dealing with similar problems, using similar data input and output interpretation, but with a high diversity of operational features. Use of the Toolkit will facilitate the integration of appropriate existing and newly developed models for predicting aspects of catchment behaviour. However for this to occur and to meet the needs of managers for information and modelling related to different aspects of catchment behaviour, it is necessary to provide the capacity for managers to apply suites of different models. But which models and within what kind of software design paradigm?
The prediction of catchment behaviour cannot be achieved by simply 'plugging' existing models together. The vast range of different programming languages, computer platforms, and design approaches used in existing models precludes such an approach. There are, however a range of alternatives that can be developed to achieve this, from sets or libraries of stand-alone models and data management tools, to fully integrated model design, construction, selection and execution systems. Clearly, different approaches require the adoption of fundamentally different software design paradigms - a major issue for the Toolkit's development. Therefore, to gauge attitudes of the land and water industry and researchers with respect to current catchment modelling tools and to assist the determination of the best approach to adopt for the Toolkit, a series of surveys was undertaken. The results would provide a benchmark to revisit once the Toolkit was in production, providing a basis from which to assess its impact on the modelling community.
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Centre Office:
CRC for Catchment Hydrology
Dept of Civil Engineering
Building 60
Monash University Vic 3800
Tel: +61 3 9905 2704
Fax: +61 3 9905 5033
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