Integrating climate models into hydrological modelling: What’s going on in Brazil?

Abstract

Studies integrating climate modelling output into hydrological modelling have grown substantially in the last two decades worldwide; however, there has not been a systematic review about those applications in the Brazilian territory. The aim of this study is to identify how the scientific community has been dealing with the topic in Brazil. The study is based on a systematic review of available peer--reviewed literature. We identify regions and socioeconomic sectors of interest and propose a method to evaluate the methodological consistency of the studies with the current state-of-the-art. The review shows that the topic has grown substantially in this decade, reaching 63 documents until 2018. The sectors under highest concern are the hydropower and the drinking water supply. The Paraná and Atlântico Nordeste Oriental hydrographic regions received great attention; whereas the Atlântico Sudeste did not. In terms of methodology, the use of multi-model ensemble leaves room for improvement. The results suggest a lack of human resources and access to computational infrastructure to handle climate data. Given the current challenges that Brazilian science is facing, we suggest the synchronization of efforts among research institutions. This systematic review provides information to help guiding decision makers to improve the topic in Brazil.