Description: The computer code of the LISFLOOD model is adapted to forecast discharge for different basins. The LISFLOOD model uses grid maps for weather variables provided by the Meteorological partners as well as grid maps for elevation, land use, soil type and drainage pattern on 1 kilometre resolution or 5 kilometre resolution. The model provides at user-selected locations (grid cells) time series for discharge. The model can also provide maps of snow extent, soil moisture, and other hydrological variables.
Potential Applications:
Within this project the LISFLOOD model is applied for flood forecasting. The model, however, is capable to provide not only river discharges but also a range of other products such as maps showing soil moisture or snow cover extent. As it is based on raster-GIS, it can relatively simply apply using freely available raster data (e.g. USGS) as well as on raster based weather forecasts and remotely sensed information. This makes it a powerful tool that can be used not only for flood forecasting in Europe, but also for water resources planning, studying effects of climate and land-use change on water resources in different location in the world.
End-users:
Water Authorities, Spatial Planning Authorities, Research institutes and consultants that deal with hydrology and/or water resources planning.
Main innovative features/benefits:
LISFLOOD is the first distributed model that is potentially designed for continental scale flood forecasting. Although many models exist that are suited for flood forecasting, the advantage over current state of the art models applied for flood forecasting is that LISFLOOD can be linked directly to the modern grid weather forecasts, as well as to global raster data bases. It can be foreseen that not only weather forecasts but also observed weather will be provided more and more in form of maps. Hydrological models that can directly deal with such information are easier and cheaper to apply, than models that require sophisticated interpolation procedures.
Analysis of the market or application sectors:
The model could be applied in river basins where no forecasting system is used. Also a possible European institute for flood forecasting. The model could also serve as a backup model next to existing systems.
Potential barriers:
The barriers for using LISFLOOD for operational flood forecasting in specific basins is that forecasters are not used to the model. As it is a new model is not yet proven technology.