Regional water resources management in the Andean region with numerical models and satellite remote sensing

This report describes the development and adaptation of distributed numerical simulation models of hydrological processes in complex watersheds typical of the Andean region. These distributed models take advantage of the synoptic capabilities of sensors on-board satellites and GIS procedures have been developed to handle model input data. Models describing groundwater flow, the interaction of surface and groundwater in irrigation and drainage systems and flow in open canals were modified to provide adetailed representation of hydrological processes in irrigated areas. Two classical watershed models were tested with negative results. A new distributed model of snowmelt runoff was improved by integrating it with GIS procedures for the efficient use ofdigital terrain models and multi-temporal satellite images. The validity of this solution was demonstrated by applying the model to three melt seasons.