📚 Environmental Modelling – Chapter 5: Climate and Hydrological Modelling (Full Chapter + Free PDF + Key Insights)
🚀 Want to master flood prediction, rainfall-runoff simulation, and watershed modelling? Chapter 5 of Environmental Modelling is all about real-world climate and hydrological models—essential tools for solving water-related issues, especially in flood-prone regions of Nepal!
With unpredictable weather patterns and increasing rainfall variability, understanding hydrological processes has never been more important for civil and geomatics engineers. This chapter gives you practical exposure to simulation software like HECRAS, TOPMODEL, and HECHMS.
🎥 Watch the Full Chapter Video Here:
In this chapter, you’ll explore:
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How rainfall transforms into runoff
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How hydrological models simulate flow
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Tools like HECRAS and HECHMS for flood and basin analysis
👉 👉 [Click Here to Watch on YouTube]
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📚 What’s Covered in This Chapter?
This chapter dives deep into the simulation of hydrological and flood events. You’ll learn how to model water flow, forecast floods, and analyze basin yield using leading industry tools.
📌 Key Topics in This Chapter:
🔷 Section 5.1: Flood Simulation & Modelling – HECRAS
(10 Hours)
✔️ Runoff & Rainfall-Runoff Relationships
Learn what components make up runoff and how rainfall transforms into streamflow.
✔️ Flow Duration and Flow Mass Curve
Visualize how water flow varies over time using these essential tools.
✔️ Hydrographs
Master different types of hydrographs:
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Unit Hydrograph
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S-Shaped Hydrograph
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Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph
✔️ Flow Routing
Understand how water moves through a river or reservoir using:
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Reservoir Routing
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Channel Routing
✔️ HECRAS Architecture
Explore the software structure, input/output data formats, and underlying mathematics. Understand key assumptions and common modelling issues.
🔷 Section 5.2: Watershed Modelling – TOPMODEL & HECHMS
(8 Hours)
✔️ Watershed Delineation
Use digital elevation models (DEMs) to define watershed boundaries.
✔️ Basin Components in Models
Understand how rainfall, interception, infiltration, evapotranspiration, and topography are represented in hydrological models.
✔️ TOPMODEL / HECHMS
Dive into these two powerful modelling tools:
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TOPMODEL: Focuses on topography and subsurface flow
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HECHMS: Simulates precipitation-runoff processes
✔️ Mathematics Behind the Models
Explore the equations and logic behind these simulations to understand how real-time forecasting is performed.
✔️ Data Requirements & Known Issues
Prepare input datasets and understand the limitations and assumptions of each model.
📂 Download Free PDF Notes – Chapter 5: Climate and Hydrological Modelling
Get clear and concise notes for both flood and watershed modelling. Perfect for:
✅ NEPAL-based case studies and applications
✅ Understanding HECRAS, HECHMS, and TOPMODEL
✅ Visualizing flow concepts with graphs and diagrams
🔽 [Click to Download Chapter 5 PDF Now!]
All notes are aligned with the Tribhuvan University and Nepal Engineering Council (NEC) syllabus. Simplified explanations make learning faster and easier!
🌍 Introduction
Climate and hydrological modelling are powerful tools used to understand how climate change affects water systems—rivers, lakes, glaciers, and groundwater. These models are especially important in Nepal, where the hydrological cycle is highly influenced by monsoons, snowmelt, and rapidly changing climate patterns.
🌡️ Climate Modelling: Predicting the Future
Climate models simulate the Earth's climate system using mathematical equations based on physics, chemistry, and biology. These models allow scientists to forecast long-term changes in temperature, precipitation, and extreme weather events.
🔑 Key Features of Climate Models:
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Global Climate Models (GCMs): Simulate climate systems on a planetary scale.
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Regional Climate Models (RCMs): Provide more localized predictions, essential for mountainous countries like Nepal.
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Emission Scenarios (RCPs/SSPs): Used to explore different futures based on human behavior and greenhouse gas emissions.
📉 Why It Matters in Nepal:
Nepal is highly sensitive to climate change:
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Increased glacial melting threatens water supplies.
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Shifts in monsoon patterns lead to unpredictable droughts or floods.
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More frequent landslides and flash floods are linked to extreme rainfall.
🌊 Hydrological Modelling: Tracing the Flow of Water
Hydrological models simulate how water moves through the environment—from rainfall to river discharge and groundwater recharge. These models are crucial for water resource planning, flood forecasting, and disaster preparedness.
🛠️ Commonly Used Hydrological Models:
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SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool): Analyzes land use and climate impacts on water systems.
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HEC-HMS: Models rainfall-runoff processes.
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MIKE SHE: Simulates surface water and groundwater interactions.
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HBV: Widely used for snowmelt and runoff forecasting in mountainous regions.
🧪 Integration of Climate & Hydrological Models
The true power lies in combining climate and hydrological models. For example, climate projections from GCMs can be input into hydrological models to estimate future river flows and water availability under different climate scenarios.
Example Workflow:
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Run climate models for Nepal using RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5.
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Downscale the data using tools like MarkSim or PRECIS.
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Feed the data into HEC-HMS to simulate future flood scenarios.
📍 Case Study: Koshi River Basin
Scientists have used integrated models to assess the impact of climate change on the Koshi River Basin. The results showed a significant increase in peak flows during monsoon seasons, raising the flood risk for downstream communities.
These models support better dam operation schedules, flood warning systems, and climate-smart agriculture planning.
🚧 Challenges in Nepal
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Data Gaps: Limited long-term meteorological and hydrological data.
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Topographic Complexity: Nepal’s varied terrain requires high-resolution models.
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Capacity Building: A need for skilled professionals in modelling and GIS tools.
🌱 Conclusion
Climate and hydrological models are more than academic tools—they are vital for building climate resilience in Nepal. With better data, collaboration, and training, these models can guide sustainable development and protect communities from climate-related disasters.
📝 Who Should Use These Notes?
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6th Semester Civil and Geomatics Engineering students
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NEC Registration Exam aspirants
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Students working on flood modelling and water resource projects
📌 Explore More Lessons from Environmental Modelling
📣 Want complete notes for the entire Environmental Modelling course? Check out other chapters below:
📚 Chapter 1: Introduction to Environmental Modelling – Download PDF
📚 Chapter 2: Fundamentals of Environmental Systems – Download PDF
📚 Chapter 3: Modelling Approaches and Techniques – Download PDF
📚 Chapter 4: Model Evaluation – Download PDF
📚 Chapter 5: Climate and Hydrological Modelling – Download PDF
📚 Chapter 6: Advanced Modelling Applications – Download PDF
📚 Chapter 7: Ecological Modelling– Download PDF
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