Hydrological modelling for a resilient future: innovations at the water-climate nexus

Sikka, A.; Yadav, S.; Alam, M. F.; Ghosh, S.; Bhatpuria, D.; Padhee, S.; Sahana, V.; Pandey, S.; Sena, D. 2025. Hydrological modelling for a resilient future: innovations at the water-climate nexus. Report of the side event at the XIIth Scientific Assembly of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS 2025), Uttarakhand, India, 5 October 2025. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). CGIAR Climate Action Program; CGIAR Policy Innovations Program; CGIAR Scaling for Impact Program; CGIAR Sustainable Animal and Aquatic Foods Program. 9p.

IWMI organized a side event at the XIIth IAHS Scientific Assembly 2025 on “Hydrological Modelling for a Resilient Future: Innovations at the Water–Climate Nexus” on 5 October 2025 at IIT Roorkee. The session showcased cutting-edge modelling tools, data-driven approaches, and interdisciplinary methods to tackle emerging water challenges under climate change. Researchers from IWMI, CGIAR Science Programs, and global partners presented innovations across the water–energy–food nexus, groundwater resilience, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), urban water quality, flood and drought forecasting, salinity prediction, and river basin digital twins.

Key presentations highlighted integrated hydrological modelling using SWAT+, GWFlow, and the AWEFSM framework; One Health–based AMR risk assessment; field-based evaluations of Managed Aquifer Recharge; water productivity mapping and decision-support tools; digital twin systems such as WaterCopilot; and next-generation early warning tools including DMS, AWARE, TRACE, and HydroSecure. New advances in water accounting (WA+, SIWA+, PaddyWA+) and AI/ML-based salinity forecasting in coastal Bangladesh were also featured.

A panel of global experts emphasized data quality, uncertainty analysis, field validation, and grounding models in hydrological fundamentals. The session concluded with a call for integrated, science-based, and equitable approaches to strengthen climate-resilient water management.