The IWAS-ToolBox: Software coupling for an integrated water resources management

Numerical modeling of interacting flow and transport processes between different hydrological compartments, such as the atmosphere/land surface/vegetation/soil/groundwater systems, is essential for understanding the comprehensive processes, especially if quantity and quality of water resources are in acute danger, like e.g. in semi-arid areas and regions with environmental contaminations. The computational models used for system and scenario analysis in the framework of an integrated water resources management are rapidly developing instruments. In particular, advances in computational mathematics have revolutionized the variety and the nature of the problems that can be addressed by environmental scientists and engineers. It is certainly true that for each hydro-compartment, there exists many excellent simulation codes, but traditionally their development has been isolated within the different disciplines. A new generation of coupled tools based on the profound scientific background is needed for integrated modeling of hydrosystems. The objective of the IWAS-ToolBox is to develop innovative methods to combine and extend existing modeling software to address coupled processes in the hydrosphere, especially for the analysis of hydrological systems in sensitive regions. This involves, e.g. the provision of models for the prediction of water availability, water quality and/or the ecological situation under changing natural and socio-economic boundary conditions such as climate change, land use or population growth in the future.     

Climatic fluctuation in the Czech Lands during the last millennium

On the basis of documentary evidence, proxy-data and instrumental observations, the climatic fluctuation during the last millennium in the Czech Lands is analysed. According to narrative sources, the warmest period falls between the 1260s–1380s, documents for Lamb's (1984) Medieval Warm Epoch in 1150–1300 are missing. The prevalence of extremely cold and also rainy periods, as an expression of the Little Ice Age, is most conspicuous in the 15th century, in the 1590s and, with three interruptions, between the 1730s–1850s. Since the latter half of the 19th century a rising temperature trend has manifested itself. A regional climatic scenario for the model of global warming is discussed in relation to the observed trends in the Czech Lands.