Socio-economic and hydroclimatic data were integrated in a modeling framework to simulate water resources and demand. We successfully modeled water stress changes in space and time in two basins over the past 40 years, and explained changes in discharge by separating human and hydroclimatic trends. The framework was then applied under 4 combinations of climate and water use scenarios at the 2050 horizon. Results showed that projected water uses are not sustainable under climate change scenarios.

This paper explores the reliability of low-flow simulations by conceptual models in a semi-arid, Andean catchment facing climate variability and water-use changes. A parsimonious hydrological model (GR4J) was combined with a model of irrigation water-use (IWU) to provide a new model of the catchment behavior (called GR4J/IWU). The original GR4J model and the GR6J model were also used as benchmarks to evaluate the usefulness explicitly accounting for water abstractions.

This study aimed at reducing structural uncertainty in the conceptual modelling of a semi-arid Andean catchment. A multiple-hypothesis framework was combined with a multi-criteria assessment scheme to characterize both model non-uniqueness and model inadequacy. This led to retaining eight model structures as a representation of the minimum structural uncertainty that could be obtained with this modelling framework.

Socioeconomic and hydro-climatic data were used to model water resources, water demand and their interactions in two river basins. By using an integrative framework we successfully modeled variations in water stress over the past 40 years, accounting for climate and human pressures and changes in water management strategies over time. We explained past changes in discharge by separating human and hydro-climatic trends. This work will help assess future water stress and design adaptation plans.