Fundamental research in Watershed Science and Modelling Laboratory aims to utilize physical and process-based eco-hydrological models to study the soil-plant-water-atmosphere system to address dynamics of water resources under uncertain variability and change in future climate. For this aspect, the research focus is to improve spatially explicit assessment of dynamic water resources components including blue water (i.e., surface and ground water), green water (i.e., soil water and evapotranspiration), fossil water (i.e., glaciers and ground water) and virtual water (i.e., water embedded in traded commodities) under global climate change scenarios.
The WSML supports applied research to address water supply and demand issues and to study water availability, water reliability and scarcity, and water demand of different sectors (e.g., agriculture, oil & gas, municipality, industry, and environment). The lab members apply models to analyze alternative management options to realize opportunities and risks during periods of water surplus and scarcity in the past and in the future linking climate change effects of water supply-demand to economic prospects. A broad range of models, datasets, and approaches are used to study integrated water resources management and the water-food-energy-environment nexus. These topics are understudied and increasingly important for the development of sustainable resource management not only in Alberta and in Canada, but also in other jurisdictions around the world.