Simulating the Hydrology of Small Coastal Ecosystems in Conditions of Limited Data

Abstract

"Water resources and irrigation developments have direct impacts on aquatic ecosystems. These impacts need to be quantified and predicted to understand the environmental costs of water projects. The assessment of such impacts in most developing countries is often hampered by the lack of reliable observations on physiographic variables used as inputs to simulation models. Complex and information-consuming models may not always be appropriate in such conditions, whereas simpler, pragmatic simulation approaches may perform well whilst their data requirements can be more easily satisfied. This report illustrates the use of such methods to simulate the hydrology of several small coastal water bodies."