The atmosphere is the primary driving force for all hydrological processes, yet the availability of spatially and temporally reliable hydrometeorological information remains a critical issue in many hydrological studies. The problem is made more urgent by the suggestion that a warmer climate will lead to an intensification of the hydrological cycle, and to an increase in the frequency of extreme events. In order to accurately represent and understand the impact of climate dynamics on the development of freshwater resources, water management tools that account for the coupled land-atmosphere system are needed. Indeed, the derivation of spatially and temporally representative hydrometeorological data and their accurate representation in water management tools is important to predict current and future developments in freshwater resources, and the influence of changing climate and land surface patterns due to intensified human activities.
The contributions in this volume consider the uncertainties in the end-to-end prediction of hydrological variables, beginning with the atmospheric driving, and ending with the hydrological calculations for scientifically-sound decisions in sustainable water management. The book is organized in two main parts; the first addresses the Quantification and reduction of predictive uncertainty in hydrometeorological forcing, and the second includes studies aiming at Minimizing risks in water management decisions by improving the understanding and spatial representation of the coupled land-atmosphere system.