Water as a Complex System: Understanding the Dynamics in a Changing Environment

The water resources system is constantly evolving over space and time at a range of scales. Human-induced climate change and land development are probably two major driving forces of water resource system changes. However, the impacts of such changes are region specific, which depend on watershed characteristics such as topography and geology. Numerical simulation models are useful tools for understanding the system dynamics by allowing the multiple interactions of system components. I will introduce case studies of the Pacific Northwest that examine how changing climate and population growth affect regional water resources at multiple spatial and temporal scales and explain the major determinants of such changes in the system. A combination of a GIS-based hydrologic model and a hydroeconomic model is used for integrated environmental change impact assessment.https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/systems_science_seminar_series/1042/thumbnail.jp