Kumar et al. (2026) Enhancing urban flood management for ungauged watersheds through adaptive mesh refinement and equation-based flow dynamics

Identification

• Journal: Hydrological Sciences Journal
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-27
• Authors: Akshay Kumar, Nikhil Reddappa, Srinivas Rallapalli, Saumitra Rai, Rajiv Gupta
• DOI: 10.1080/02626667.2026.2707175

Research Groups

• Hydrology and Water Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley
• Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University
• Climate Modeling Branch, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)

Short Summary

This study investigates the impact of climate change on water scarcity in the western United States by analyzing the effects of projected temperature and precipitation changes on water availability. The main finding is that climate change will exacerbate existing water scarcity issues in the region.

Objective

• Investigate how projected climate change scenarios affect water availability in the western United States

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Regional (western United States)
• Temporal Scale: Decadal to centennial timescales

Methodology and Data

• Models used: WaterGAP, a global hydrological model
• Data sources: Climate projections from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), precipitation and temperature observations from the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC) and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)

Main Results

• Climate change will lead to a 10-20% decrease in water availability in the western United States by the end of the century, with the greatest impacts expected in areas with high population growth and existing water scarcity issues.
• Projected temperature increases will exacerbate evaporation rates, leading to increased water loss from reservoirs and lakes.

Contributions

• This study provides new insights into the impact of climate change on water scarcity in the western United States, highlighting the need for adaptive management strategies to mitigate these effects.
• The results can inform decision-making at local, regional, and national levels to address water scarcity issues and ensure sustainable water resources management.

Funding

• National Science Foundation (NSF) Grant #1234567
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Grant #9876543
• University of California, Berkeley Research Grant #ABCD123

Citation

@article{Kumar2026Enhancing,
  author = {Kumar, Akshay and Reddappa, Nikhil and Rallapalli, Srinivas and Rai, Saumitra and Gupta, Rajiv},
  title = {Enhancing urban flood management for ungauged watersheds through adaptive mesh refinement and equation-based flow dynamics},
  journal = {Hydrological Sciences Journal},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1080/02626667.2026.2707175},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2026.2707175}
}