Possibilities of using the SWAT model to mitigate the effects of human activity and climate change on the territory of the Czech Republic
The negative effects of human activity and climate change are increasingly observed around the world. The situation in the Czech Republic is no different. According to the paper State of water management in the Czech Republic from 2021, published by the Ministry of Environment, there is an increasing share of pollution in surface and ground waters. The report states that the three main sources of pollution are agricultural management, atmospheric deposition and erosive runoff. The quality of surface and groundwater is most affected by nitrates, pesticides and acidification, and to a lesser extent by phosphorus.
In an attempt to understand and mitigate these changes, it is possible to use predictive models. One of these is the SWAT model.
SWAT model is a continuous hydrological model at watershed scale and it has been developed for predicting impacts of agricultural management on water, sediments and chemicals used in agriculture. The basic input data of the SWAT model are weather data, soil data, elevation data and land use data. The history of the SWAT model dates back to the 1980s.
The main objective of this study is to verify the possibilities of using the SWAT model as a tool for mitigating the negative impacts of human activity and climate change. Alternatively, some parts of the model will be modified or new tools for geographical information systems will be developed, which will facilitate the use of the model in the Czech Republic. Regarding the negative impacts of human activities, the SWAT model will be used to find locations for implementing measures to reduce eutrophication of surface waters and to reduce pollutants in streams. In terms of climate change, the focus will be on the effects of drought and then on the potential of the model for carbon sequestration.
The objectives will be achieved by running the model over the whole territory of the Czech Republic. All the data will be processed and analysed, and at the same time the possibilities of the model will be explored, which came as a result of literature research on the application of the model around the world. The secondary objective is to develop an application that will be available to the general public, but its use will be suitable for both public administration and the private sector. The application will be suitable not only for data visualisation, but also for working with it in concrete solution examples. The results will be regularly updated to ensure that they are as up-to-date as possible and can be used most effectively to mitigate the effects of human activity and climate change.
