Technical Note: Hydrological Modeling with SWAT in a Monsoon-Driven Environment: Experience from the Western Ghats, India

Hydrological modeling using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) in monsoon-driven environments, such as the Western Ghats in India, can yield reasonable results when adapted to account for seasonal water limitations and dam management effects. The study, conducted on the Mula and Mutha Rivers catchment (2036 km²), demonstrated that SWAT could effectively simulate mean daily discharge during the rainy season (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiencies of 0.58–0.68) when modified for forest growth and dam operations. However, performance weakened in subcatchments with multiple dams due to simplified management schemes and potential underestimation of evapotranspiration. The research highlights that generally available data can support accurate modeling if key monsoon characteristics are properly parameterized.

P. D. Wagner, S. Kumar, P. Fiener, & K. Schneider. (2011). Technical Note: Hydrological Modeling with SWAT in a Monsoon-Driven Environment: Experience from the Western Ghats, India. Transactions of the ASABE, 54(5), 1783–1790. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.39846