Assessment of the river flow regimes over the Chitral and Gilgit Basins, Pakistan, under IPCC climate change scenarios using the HyMoLAP-SM model

Modelling the river flow process during uncertain climatic conditions is a challenging task. This paper attempts to apply the hydrological model based on the least action principle (HyMoLAP) at Chitral and Gilgit stations with few modifications. The topographic wetness index, the concept of degree-d...

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Main Authors: Syed Ahmad Hassan, Mehwish Shafi Khan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IWA Publishing 2022-11-01
Series:Journal of Water and Climate Change
Subjects:
Online Access:http://jwcc.iwaponline.com/content/13/11/3776
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author Syed Ahmad Hassan
Mehwish Shafi Khan
author_facet Syed Ahmad Hassan
Mehwish Shafi Khan
author_sort Syed Ahmad Hassan
collection DOAJ
description Modelling the river flow process during uncertain climatic conditions is a challenging task. This paper attempts to apply the hydrological model based on the least action principle (HyMoLAP) at Chitral and Gilgit stations with few modifications. The topographic wetness index, the concept of degree-day factor and snowmelt (SM) using the snow cover area (SCA) have been incorporated into the improved HyMoLAP-SM structure. It is found that the HyMoLAP-SM model significantly enhanced the accuracy of the river flow estimation and forecast. Furthermore, the model seems highly sensitive to the choice of nonlinearity parameter and moderately sensitive to SM coefficients. Moreover, the response of river flow to climate change scenarios has been projected by utilizing modelled outcomes under temperature and precipitation variations. Overall, the results suggest that average river flow may get increased (reduced) by about 60% (40%) by the increase (decrease) in temperature. On the other hand, an increase (decrease) in precipitation at Chitral (Gilgit) may increase (decrease) the average flow by about 27% (200%) [19% (8%)] at the respective station. These results may be utilized for future flood/agricultural planning in Pakistan. Additionally, results obtained in this study may not be applicable to other geographical regions or interchangeable with other modelling purpose. HIGHLIGHTS The HyMoLAP-SM model is highly sensitive (moderately sensitive) to the choice of nonlinearity (snowmelt) parameters.; The response of river flow to the change in temperature values seems to be steady at both the stations.; The response of river flow to the increasing precipitation scenario is likely to be chaotic at the Gilgit station.; HyMoLAP-SM may capture the physical composition of the river flow adequately.;
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spelling doaj.art-a10d72676dc24d87a0edc5f3da151b9b2022-12-22T04:21:21ZengIWA PublishingJournal of Water and Climate Change2040-22442408-93542022-11-0113113776379110.2166/wcc.2022.151151Assessment of the river flow regimes over the Chitral and Gilgit Basins, Pakistan, under IPCC climate change scenarios using the HyMoLAP-SM modelSyed Ahmad Hassan0Mehwish Shafi Khan1 Department of Mathematics, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan Department of Mathematics, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan Modelling the river flow process during uncertain climatic conditions is a challenging task. This paper attempts to apply the hydrological model based on the least action principle (HyMoLAP) at Chitral and Gilgit stations with few modifications. The topographic wetness index, the concept of degree-day factor and snowmelt (SM) using the snow cover area (SCA) have been incorporated into the improved HyMoLAP-SM structure. It is found that the HyMoLAP-SM model significantly enhanced the accuracy of the river flow estimation and forecast. Furthermore, the model seems highly sensitive to the choice of nonlinearity parameter and moderately sensitive to SM coefficients. Moreover, the response of river flow to climate change scenarios has been projected by utilizing modelled outcomes under temperature and precipitation variations. Overall, the results suggest that average river flow may get increased (reduced) by about 60% (40%) by the increase (decrease) in temperature. On the other hand, an increase (decrease) in precipitation at Chitral (Gilgit) may increase (decrease) the average flow by about 27% (200%) [19% (8%)] at the respective station. These results may be utilized for future flood/agricultural planning in Pakistan. Additionally, results obtained in this study may not be applicable to other geographical regions or interchangeable with other modelling purpose. HIGHLIGHTS The HyMoLAP-SM model is highly sensitive (moderately sensitive) to the choice of nonlinearity (snowmelt) parameters.; The response of river flow to the change in temperature values seems to be steady at both the stations.; The response of river flow to the increasing precipitation scenario is likely to be chaotic at the Gilgit station.; HyMoLAP-SM may capture the physical composition of the river flow adequately.;http://jwcc.iwaponline.com/content/13/11/3776climate changehydroclimatic variableshymolap modelriver flow modelling
spellingShingle Syed Ahmad Hassan
Mehwish Shafi Khan
Assessment of the river flow regimes over the Chitral and Gilgit Basins, Pakistan, under IPCC climate change scenarios using the HyMoLAP-SM model
Journal of Water and Climate Change
climate change
hydroclimatic variables
hymolap model
river flow modelling
title Assessment of the river flow regimes over the Chitral and Gilgit Basins, Pakistan, under IPCC climate change scenarios using the HyMoLAP-SM model
title_full Assessment of the river flow regimes over the Chitral and Gilgit Basins, Pakistan, under IPCC climate change scenarios using the HyMoLAP-SM model
title_fullStr Assessment of the river flow regimes over the Chitral and Gilgit Basins, Pakistan, under IPCC climate change scenarios using the HyMoLAP-SM model
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of the river flow regimes over the Chitral and Gilgit Basins, Pakistan, under IPCC climate change scenarios using the HyMoLAP-SM model
title_short Assessment of the river flow regimes over the Chitral and Gilgit Basins, Pakistan, under IPCC climate change scenarios using the HyMoLAP-SM model
title_sort assessment of the river flow regimes over the chitral and gilgit basins pakistan under ipcc climate change scenarios using the hymolap sm model
topic climate change
hydroclimatic variables
hymolap model
river flow modelling
url http://jwcc.iwaponline.com/content/13/11/3776
work_keys_str_mv AT syedahmadhassan assessmentoftheriverflowregimesoverthechitralandgilgitbasinspakistanunderipccclimatechangescenariosusingthehymolapsmmodel
AT mehwishshafikhan assessmentoftheriverflowregimesoverthechitralandgilgitbasinspakistanunderipccclimatechangescenariosusingthehymolapsmmodel