{"type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [{"id": "10.5281/zenodo.15781488", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:24:03Z", "type": "Report", "title": "Results of stakeholder surveys on preferred NSWRM implementation plans. Deliverable D5.3 of the EU Horizon 2020 project OPTAIN.", "description": "Deliverable report D5.3 of the EU Horizon 2020 Project OPTAIN (Grant agreement No. 862756) The objective of this deliverable is to convey OPTAIN\u2019s optimisation approach, methodologies and results to stakeholders of each case study\u2019s Multi-Actor Reference Groups. More importantly, it will create a common understanding of the potential of the NSWRMs for improving water and nutrient retention in the CS, as well as of the associated trade-offs such as costs and potential reductions in crop production. Finally, this task will determine those NSWRM implementation plans preferred by individual actors using the tool, ParetoPick-R, developed in the previous task 5.3. This sets the stage for the subsequent in-depth, cross-sectoral discussion about a spatially targeted implementation of NSWRM. Summary\u00a0 This deliverable from the EU Horizon 2020 OPTAIN project presents the results from stakeholder interviews across eleven European case studies, focusing on the identification of preferred implementation plans for Natural/Small Water Retention Measures (NSWRMs).\u00a0It builds on the modelling and multi-objective optimisation workflows employed in OPTAIN, which explored numerous options for potential measure implementation optimised for environmental and economic objectives. Stakeholders of each case study\u2019s Multi-Actor Reference Groups (MARG) participated in structured interviews. Using the interactive ParetoPick-R app, they developed a common understanding of the potential of NSWRMs and explored trade-offs among four optimisation objectives, such as water/nutrient retention, crop production, and cost. They then selected their preferred implementation plans based on weights assigned to each objective and filter options applied to the solution space. Key Findings: Trade-offs & preferences: Stakeholders' preferences varied significantly across sectors and case studies. Agricultural actors typically prioritised crop production and cost-efficiency, while those in the water and nature conservation sectors leaned towards environmental benefits. Common measures: Frequently preferred NSWRMs included soil and/or crop management measures, followed by greening measures and engineered solutions. Feasibility issues: Technical feasibility, land ownership, and institutional hurdles (e.g., need for permits) influenced stakeholder choices. Tool feedback: The ParetoPick-R tool was generally well-received for visualising trade-offs and supporting decision-making. However, some users found it too complex and suggested improvements in usability, guidance, and map functionality. This deliverable D5.3 sets the foundation for the final MARG workshops in the case studies, which will seek to negotiate compromise solutions that are acceptable to all actors. The report underscores the importance of participatory modelling tools and multi-sector engagement in water and land management planning.", "keywords": ["multiobjective optimisation", "trade-offs", "NSWRM", "agricultural production", "H2020", "OPTAIN", "SWAT", "NWRM", "stakeholder", "water retention"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Strauch, Michael, Wittekind, Cordula,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15781488"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.15781488", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.15781488", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.15781488"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2025-07-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1007/s10661-023-11079-y", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:15:22Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2023-03-25", "title": "Evaluating the impacts of sustainable land management practices on water quality in an agricultural catchment in Lower Austria using SWAT", "description": "Abstract

Managing agricultural watersheds in an environmentally friendly manner necessitate the strategic implementation of well-targeted sustainable land management (SLM) practices that limit soil and nonpoint source pollution losses and translocation. Watershed-scale SLM-scenario modeling has the potential to identify efficient and effective management strategies from the field to the integrated landscape level. In a case study targeting a 66-hectare watershed in Petzenkirchen, Lower Austria, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was utilized to evaluate a variety of locally adoptable SLM practices. SWAT was calibrated and validated (monthly) at the catchment outlet for flow, sediment, nitrate-nitrogen (NO3\uffe2\uff80\uff93N), ammonium nitrogen (NH4\uffe2\uff80\uff93N), and mineralized phosphorus (PO4\uffe2\uff80\uff93P) using SWATplusR. Considering the locally existing agricultural practices and socioeconomic and environmental factors of the research area, four conservation practices were evaluated: baseline scenario, contour farming (CF), winter cover crops (CC), and a combination of no-till and cover crops (NT\uffe2\uff80\uff89+\uffe2\uff80\uff89CC). The NT\uffe2\uff80\uff89+\uffe2\uff80\uff89CC SLM practice was found to be the most effective soil conservation practice in reducing soil loss by around 80%, whereas CF obtained the best results for decreasing the nutrient loads of NO3\uffe2\uff80\uff93N and PO4\uffe2\uff80\uff93P by 11% and 35%, respectively. The findings of this study imply that the setup SWAT model can serve the context-specific performance assessment and eventual promotion of SLM interventions that mitigate on-site land degradation and the consequential off-site environmental pollution resulting from agricultural nonpoint sources.

The quantitative prediction of hydrological components through hydrological models could serve as a basis for developing better land and water management policies. This study provides a comprehensive step by step modelling approach for a small agricultural watershed using the SWAT model. The watershed is situated in Petzenkirchen in the western part of Lower Austria and has total area of 66 hectares. At present, 87% of the catchment area is arable land, 5% is used as pasture, 6% is forested and 2% is paved. The calibration approach involves a sequential calibration of the model starting from surface runoff, and groundwater flow, followed by crop yields and then soil moisture, and finally total streamflow and sediment yields. Calibration and validation are carried out using the r-package SWATplusR. The impact of each calibration step on sediment yields and total streamflow is evaluated. The results of this approach are compared with those of the conventional model calibration approach, where all the parameters governing various hydrological processes are calibrated simultaneously. Results showed that the model was capable of successfully predicting surface runoff, groundwater flow, soil profile water content, total streamflow and sediment yields with Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) of greater than 0.75. Crop yields were also well simulated with a percent bias (PBIAS) ranging from \u221217% to 14%. Surface runoff calibration had the highest impact on streamflow output, improving NSE from 0.39 to 0.77. The step-wise calibration approach performed better for streamflow prediction than the simultaneous calibration approach. The results of this study show that the step-wise calibration approach is more accurate, and provides a better representation of different hydrological components and processes than the simultaneous calibration approach.

", "keywords": ["Step-wise calibration", "2. Zero hunger", "step-wise calibration", "Crop yields", "soil erosion model", "Sequential calibration", "Sediment yield", "0207 environmental engineering", "HOAL", "crop yields", "Streamflow", "SWATplusR", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "02 engineering and technology", "15. Life on land", "sediment yield", "6. Clean water", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "SWAT", "Soil erosion model", "streamflow", "Soil moisture", "soil moisture", "sequential calibration"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/16/2238/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/16/2238/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/w13162238"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Water", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/w13162238", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/w13162238", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/w13162238"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-08-17T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1186/s12302-024-00873-1", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:20:05Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-03-11", "title": "SWAT\u2009+\u2009input data preparation in a scripted workflow: SWATprepR", "description": "Abstract

Input data collection, quality assurance and preparation are central but time_consuming steps in environmental modeling. Errors due to manual processing of model input data can result in an incorrect representation of an environmental system and may consequently lead to implausible model simulations. Correct input data preparation and thorough quality check at an early stage of the model setup procedure are essential to build confidence in model simulation results. Typically, in environmental model applications, many steps in the input data preparation phase have to be repeated with the inflow of new, additional or corrected data. In this study, we selected the widely used SWAT\uffe2\uff80\uff89+\uffe2\uff80\uff89ecohydrological model as an illustrative example to investigate challenges related to input data preparation. To assist in these tasks, we developed an R package named SWATprepR, which provides functions for typical and repeating SWAT\uffe2\uff80\uff89+\uffe2\uff80\uff89model input data preparation tasks. The package supports the preparation of weather input files, atmospheric deposition, soil parameters, crop rotations, and observed (control or calibration) data, to name a few, presently with focus on European applications. The SWATprepR functions are integrated in R script workflows and can help SWAT\uffe2\uff80\uff89+\uffe2\uff80\uff89modelers to avoid repetitive tasks, secure reproducibility and transparently document the data processing steps. Application of the package is illustrated with a test case of a SWAT\uffe2\uff80\uff89+\uffe2\uff80\uff89model for a small catchment in central Poland.

The intensive use of soil and water resources results in a disbalance between the environmental and economic objectives of the river basin. The water quality management model supports good water status, especially downstream of dams and reservoirs, as in the case of the Sutla/Sotla river basin. This research aims to develop a new, improved integrated water quality management model of rural transboundary basins to achieve environmental objectives and protection of the Natura 2000 sites. The model uses river basin pressure analysis to assess the effects of climate and hydrological extreme impacts, and a programme of basic and supplementary measures. The impact assessment of BASE MODEL, PAST, and FUTURE scenarios was modelled using the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) based on land use, climate and hydrological data, climate change, presence or lack of a reservoir, and municipal wastewater and agriculture measures. Eight future climate change scenarios were obtained with optimistic (RCP4.5) and pessimistic (RCP8.5) forecasts for two periods (2020\u20132050 and 2070\u20132100), both with and without a reservoir. The model shows that the most significant impacts on the waterbody come from the nutrients and sediment hotspots, also shows the risk of not achieving good water status, and water eutrophication risk. The modelled average annual increase in sediment is from 4 to 25% and in total N from 1 to 8%, while the change in total P is from \u22125 to 6%. The conducted analysis provides a base for the selection of tailor-made measures from the catalogue of the supplementary measures that will be outlined in future research.

", "keywords": ["environmental objectives WFD", "integrated water quality management model", "environmental objectives WFD ; integrated water quality management model ; good water status ; rural transboundary river basin ; Sutla/Sotla ; climate change ; scenarios ; SWAT ; measures", "rural transboundary river basin", "01 natural sciences", "11. Sustainability", "hidrologija", "SWAT", "14. Life underwater", "kakovost voda", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "vodotoki", "2. Zero hunger", "scenarios", "measures", "environmental objectives WFD; integrated water quality management model; good water status; rural transboundary river basin; Sutla/Sotla; climate change; scenarios; SWAT; measures", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water", "Sotla", "climate change", "info:eu-repo/classification/udc/556", "13. Climate action", "vodni mened\u017ement", "Sutla/Sotla", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "SWAT model", "good water status"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/18/2569/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/18/2569/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/w13182569"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Water", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/w13182569", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/w13182569", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/w13182569"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-09-17T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.2166/wcc.2024.064", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:21:14Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-09-20", "title": "Model-based analysis of the impact of climate change on hydrology in the Guayas River basin (Ecuador)", "description": "ABSTRACT

Worldwide climate change will most likely lead to drastic changes in hydrology and food production. In this study, the impact of climate change on the hydrological regime and the fate of pesticides in the Guayas River basin is investigated using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool. Four general circulation models and three representative concentration pathways (RCP 4.5, RCP 6.0 and RCP 8.5) for three future periods were used to assess impact of climate change. Future projections showed a maximum increase in the average monthly precipitation of 40% in June, as well as an increase in an average minimum temperature of 3.85\uffc2\uffb0C for July and an average maximum temperature of 4.5\uffc2\uffb0C for August in 2080s. The model simulations based on RCP 8.5 scenario predict an increase in potential evapotranspiration by 11%, surface runoff of 39% and water yield of 33% in 2080s. The pesticide simulation showed the highest water concentrations during the wet season. Projections of trends in pesticide concentration indicate a similar trend to the current situation given the application rate remains the same. The results can be beneficial for the management and planning of the basin to mitigate flood and water quality-related impacts of food production and climate change.Reinforcing the small water cycle is considered to be a holistic approach to both water resource and landscape management. In an agricultural landscape, this can be accomplished by incorporating agricultural conservation practices; their incorporation can reduce surface runoff, increase infiltration, and increase the water holding capacity of a soil. Some typical agricultural conservation practices include: conservation tillage, contour farming, residue incorporation, and reducing field sizes; these efforts aim to keep both water and soil in the landscape. The incorporation of such practices has been extensively studied over the last 40 years. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to model two basins in the Czech Republic (one at the farm-scale and a second at the management-scale) to determine the effects of agriculture conservation practice adoption at each scale. We found that at the farm-scale, contour farming was the most effective practice at reinforcing the small water cycle, followed by residue incorporation. At the management-scale, we found that the widespread incorporation of agricultural conservation practices significantly reinforced the small water cycle, but the relative scale and spatial distribution of their incorporation were not reflected in the SWAT scenario analysis. Individual farmers should be incentivized to adopt agricultural conservation practices, as these practices can have great effects at the farm-scale. At the management-scale, the spatial distribution of agricultural conservation practice adoption was not significant in this study, implying that managers should incentivize any adoption of such practices and that the small water cycle would be reinforced regardless.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "S", "BMPs", "small water cycle", "Agriculture", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Small water cycle", "6. Clean water", "small water cycle; agricultural conservation practices; BMPs; SWAT", "13. Climate action", "Agricultural conservation practices", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "SWAT", "agricultural conservation practices"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Nina Noreika, Tailin Li, Julie Winterova, Josef Krasa, Tomas Dostal,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/5/683/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/5/683/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/land11050683"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Land", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/land11050683", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/land11050683", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/land11050683"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-05-04T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/su122410596", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:21:54Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-12-21", "title": "Farm-Scale Biofuel Crop Adoption and Its Effects on In-Basin Water Balance", "description": "

In the face of future climate change, Europe has encouraged the adoption of biofuel crops by its farmers. Such land-use changes can have significant impacts on the water balance and hydrological behavior of a system. While the heavy pesticide use associated with biofuel crops has been extensively studied, the water balance impacts of these crops have been far less studied. We conducted scenario analyses using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to determine the effects of farm-scale biofuel crop adoption (rapeseed) on a basin\uffe2\uff80\uff99s water balance. We found that rapeseed adoption does not support the goal of developing a sustainable agricultural landscape in the Czech Republic. The adoption of rapeseed also had disproportionate effects on a basin\uffe2\uff80\uff99s water balance depending on its location in the basin. Additionally, discharge (especially surface runoff ratios), evapotranspiration, and available soil water content display significant shifts in the rapeseed adoption scenarios.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "biofuel crop", "Sustainable agriculture", "0207 environmental engineering", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "02 engineering and technology", "15. Life on land", "End hunger", " achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture", "7. Clean energy", "6. Clean water", "sustainable agriculture", "water balance", "http://metadata.un.org/sdg/2", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "SWAT model", "Water balance", "Biofuel crop"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/24/10596/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/24/10596/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410596"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Sustainability", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/su122410596", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/su122410596", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/su122410596"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-12-18T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.3390/su132413757", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-23T16:21:55Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-12-14", "title": "The Small Water Cycle in the Czech Landscape: How Has It Been Affected by Land Management Changes Over Time?", "description": "

For the Czech Republic to recover from the effects of past mismanagement, it is necessary to determine how its landscape management can be improved holistically by reinforcing the small water cycle. We conducted a scenario analysis across four time periods using SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) to determine the effects of land use, land management, and crop rotation shifts since the 1800s in what is now the Czech Republic. The 1852 and 1954 land-use scenarios behaved the most similarly hydrologically across all four scenarios, likely due to minimal landscape transformation and the fact that these two scenarios occur prior to the widespread incorporation of subsurface tile drainages across the landscape. Additionally, the crop rotation of 1920\u20131938 reinforces the small water cycle the most, while that of 1950\u20131989 reinforces the small water cycle the least. Diversified crop rotations should be incentivized to farmers, and increasing the areas of forest, brush, and permanent grassland should be prioritized to further reinforce the small water cycle. It is necessary to foster relationships and open communication between watershed managers, landowners, and scientists to improve the small water cycle and to pave the way for successful future hydrological modeling in the Czech Republic.

", "keywords": ["landscape management; small water cycle; crop rotation; land-use change; scenario analysis; SWAT", "2. Zero hunger", "Land-use change", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Small water cycle", "01 natural sciences", "Scenario analysis", "6. Clean water", "Landscape management", "Crop rotation", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "SWAT", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/24/13757/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/24/13757/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413757"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Sustainability", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3390/su132413757", "name": "item", "description": "10.3390/su132413757", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3390/su132413757"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-12-13T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.11232718", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-23T16:23:04Z", "type": "Report", "title": "SWAT+ and SWAP retention measure implementation handbook. Deliverable D2.3 of the EU Horizon 2020 project OPTAIN.", "description": "Deliverable report D2.3 of the EU Horizon 2020 Project OPTAIN (Grant agreement No. 862756) The deliverable describes the approaches for NSWRM implementation in SWAT+ and SWAP models. It provides\u00a0standardised guidelines for parameterisation of measures (for modelling purposes). Summary The deliverable D2.3 of the OPTAIN project introduces a framework and scale specific guidelines for the parameterization of Natural/Small Water Retention Measures (NSWRM) in modelling approaches. More specifically, it provides a detailed translation of NSWRM into parameters and design approaches for the application in the SWAT+ (catchment scale) and SWAP (field-scale) models, which were selected as the main modelling tools in the OPTAIN project. This document can also be considered as an extension of the well-known Conservation Practice Modelling Guide for SWAT and APEX (Waidler et al., 2011), which is frequently used by the SWAT modelling community for testing the effectiveness of conservation practices. However, besides of conservation practices, the report focuses mainly on NSWRMs, and how they can be implemented in SWAT+, the new and restructured version of SWAT. Analogously, the NSWRM parameters are also described for the SWAP model, which is addressing the field-scale. Compared to previous NSWRM modelling approaches, this methodology enables the setting of NSWRM parameters in the two selected models to improve the description of the related hydrological and hydrochemical processes.", "keywords": ["SWAT+", "NSWRM", "SWAP", "H2020", "OPTAIN"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Marval, \u0160t\u011bp\u00e1n, Fu\u010d\u00edk, Petr, \u010cerkasova, Natalja, Sch\u00fcrz, Christoph, Strauch, Michael, Witing, Felix, Piniewski, Miko\u0142aj, Plunge, Svajunas, Farkas, Csilla, Weiland, Sinja, Krzeminska, Dominika, Lemann, Tatenda,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11232718"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.11232718", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.11232718", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.11232718"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-08-31T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.11233621", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-23T16:23:04Z", "type": "Report", "title": "Assessment of NSWRM effectiveness under current and future climate at the catchment scale. Deliverable D4.4 of the EU Horizon 2020 project OPTAIN.", "description": "Deliverable report D4.4 of the EU Horizon 2020 Project OPTAIN (Grant agreement No. 862756) The main objective of OPTAIN\u2019s task 4.4 was to perform an integrated, model-based assessment of the effectiveness of\u00a0Natural/Small Water Retention Measures (NSWRMs) in 14 small agricultural catchments in Europe, under both current and projected climate conditions. This report provides a detailed description of the modelling workflow, from input data preparation, model setup and its verification, model calibration and application in climate and NSWRM scenario runs. The results include a catchment-wide synthesis, while more detailed analyses have been included in a series of annexes with CS-specific reports. Summary The objective of this deliverable D4.4 is to provide an integrated, model-based assessment of the effectiveness of Natural/Small Water Retention Measures (NSWRMs) in 14 small agricultural catchments in Europe under current and projected climate conditions. The objective of a harmonised application of the hydrological and water quality model SWAT+ (Soil & Water Assessment Tool) was\u00a0successfully achieved. The modelling work in each case study closely follows OPTAIN's deliverable D4.2, 'SWAT+ modelling protocol for the assessment of water and nutrient retention measures in small agricultural catchments' (Sch\u00fcrz et al., 2022), as outlined in this deliverable. The report presents the new Contiguous Object COnnectivity Approach (COCOA) as the most significant and novel\u00a0contribution to process-based modelling. COCOA can represent landscape features at the field scale and account for connectivity between land phase objects. The report provides a detailed description of the modelling workflow, including input data preparation, model setup, verification, calibration, and application in climate and NSWRM scenario runs. This report presents a synthesis of modelling results, focusing on model evaluation, simulated water and nutrient balance, crop yield outputs, and the impacts of climate change from eight case studies located in Belgium, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, and Switzerland. The report includes 14 annexes providing in-depth reports dedicated to specific catchments from all OPTAIN CS modelling teams. Seven annexes contain results on the simulated effectiveness of selected NSWRMs quantified by a set of environmental performance indicators. The effectiveness of NSWRMs under future climate scenarios was quantified for illustrative purposes for one catchment located in Germany (CS1). Additionally, this deliverable includes a suite of scripted workflows in R that cover different steps of the SWAT+ modelling process. The calibrated SWAT+ model setups generated within this task will serve to identify optimal implementation schemes for NSWRMs, including their combination and allocation within the catchment (OPTAIN WP5). The synthesis of modelling results will continue under WP6.", "keywords": ["SWAT+", "13. Climate action", "NSWRM", "11. Sustainability", "H2020", "OPTAIN", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water", "12. Responsible consumption"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Piniewski, Miko\u0142aj, Strauch, Michael, Plunge, Svajunas, Sch\u00fcrz, Christoph, \u010cerkasova, Natalja, Chiaradia, Enrico Antonio, Witing, Felix,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11233621"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.11233621", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.11233621", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.11233621"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-03-31T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.11473793", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:23:06Z", "type": "Report", "title": "Common optimisation protocol. Deliverable D5.1 of the EU Horizon 2020 project OPTAIN.", "description": "Deliverable report D5.1 of the EU Horizon 2020 Project OPTAIN (Grant agreement No. 862756) Summary\u00a0The objective of this deliverable D5.1 is to enable catchment-scale modellers to perform a multi-objective optimisation of the allocation and combination of Natural/Small Water Retention Measures (NSWRMs) in their own case study (CS). This report (i) introduces the Pareto optimal NSWRM implementation plans as one of the project\u2019s key products, (ii) describes OPTAIN\u2019s optimisation concept, (iii) outlines the requirements that a SWAT+ model setup must meet before it can be used for the optimisation, (iv) shows how to build a SWATmeasR project as a key tool for implementing NSWRMs in a SWAT+ model, and (v) provides a protocol on how to run the optimisation using the software CoMOLA. The report should also be useful beyond the OPTAIN project for interested SWAT+ modellers who wish to use their model to optimise spatially explicit NSWRM or Best Management Practice (BMP) plans against multiple catchment-scale objectives.", "keywords": ["CoMOLA", "SWAT+", "NSWRM", "multi-objective optimisation", "catchment-scale", "allocation and combination"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Strauch, Michael, Sch\u00fcrz, Christoph,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11473793"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.11473793", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.11473793", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.11473793"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-06-04T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.15043864", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:23:44Z", "type": "Report", "title": "Post-processing & interactive visualisation of optimisation results. Deliverable D5.2 of the EU Horizon 2020 project OPTAIN", "description": "Deliverable report D5.2 of the EU Horizon 2020 Project OPTAIN (Grant agreement No. 862756) Summary\u00a0Multi-objective optimisation is a powerful approach for generating a set of Pareto optimal design alternatives that decision-makers can evaluate in order to select the most-suitable configuration. In practice, however, selecting from a large number of Pareto optimal solutions can be daunting. The objective of this report is to enable researchers and stakeholders to assess the optimisation outputs produced in OPTAINs previous Task 5.2 in a structured manner, to render the results tangible and understandable, and to maximise their use for the subsequent stakeholder consultation. This report describes the tool ParetoPick-R, including how to run it, its data input requirements and the processes it employs. ParetoPick-R allows (1) to make the complex optimisation outputs understandable through various intuitive visualisation techniques, including for the links between the objective space and the decision space of Natural/Small Water Retention Measures (NSWRM) implementation plans. (2) It implements a methodology for reducing the high number of solutions from the previous optimisation to a manageable number while reducing information loss, and (3) allows to perform an Analytical Hierarchy Process for stakeholders to assign priorities based on pairwise preferences in a structured manner. This report is useful for researchers and stakeholders from OPTAIN and beyond working with complex optimisation problems who want to analyse their results in\u00a0a structured and meaningful way and render them actionable.", "keywords": ["CoMOLA", "combination", "SWAT+", "NSWRM", "post-processing", "H2020", "OPTAIN", "interactive visualisation", "stakeholder support", "R tool", "multi-objective optimization", "allocation", "Pareto solutions", "Analytical Hierarchy Process", "pareto pruning", "clustering"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15043864"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.15043864", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.15043864", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.15043864"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2025-03-18T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.7462416", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:24:36Z", "type": "Report", "title": "SWAT+ modeling protocol for the assessment of water and nutrient retention measures in small agricultural catchments", "description": "This SWAT+ modelling protocol was designed for guiding model setup development and model calibration in 14 European case study sites participating in the modelling component of the EU funded research and innovation project OPtimal strategies to retAIN and re-use water and nutrients in small agricultural catchments across different soil-climatic regions in Europe (OPTAIN). These 14 case studies are small agricultural catchments (ranging in size from 21 to 254 km2 ) located in three biogeographical regions of Europe and 12 different countries. The main topic of OPTAIN are Natural/Small Water Retention Measures, which are a relatively new concept. These are small and multi-functional measures for the retention/management of water and nutrients in the landscape, thus addressing drought/flood control, management of water quality problems, climate change adaptation, biodiversity restoration, etc.", "keywords": ["modelling", "SWAT+", "13. Climate action", "NSWRMs", "11. Sustainability", "H2020", "OPTAIN", "protocol", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7462416"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.7462416", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.7462416", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.7462416"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-12-20T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.7463395", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:24:36Z", "type": "Report", "title": "SWAT+ modeling protocol for the assessment of water and nutrient retention measures in small agricultural catchments", "description": "This SWAT+ modelling protocol was designed for guiding model setup development and model calibration in 14 European case study sites participating in the modelling component of the EU funded research and innovation project OPtimal strategies to retAIN and re-use water and nutrients in small agricultural catchments across different soil-climatic regions in Europe (OPTAIN). These 14 case studies are small agricultural catchments (ranging in size from 21 to 254 km2 ) located in three biogeographical regions of Europe and 12 different countries. The main topic of OPTAIN are Natural/Small Water Retention Measures, which are a relatively new concept. These are small and multi-functional measures for the retention/management of water and nutrients in the landscape, thus addressing drought/flood control, management of water quality problems, climate change adaptation, biodiversity restoration, etc.", "keywords": ["modelling", "SWAT+", "13. Climate action", "NSWRMs", "11. Sustainability", "H2020", "OPTAIN", "protocol", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7463395"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.7463395", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.7463395", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.7463395"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-12-20T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.7436013", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Source", "updated": "2026-06-23T16:24:36Z", "type": "Software", "title": "svatools R package", "description": "svatools R package is designed to help with the SWAT+ model input data preparation, visualization and model output assessment. There are functions developed for the implementation of modeling tasks in the OPTAIN project.", "keywords": ["SWAT+", "R", "package"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Svajunas Plunge", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7436013"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.7436013", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.7436013", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.7436013"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-12-30T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.7509100", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:24:37Z", "type": "Software", "title": "Python script to prepare land use map for SWATbuildR", "description": "Script helps to prepare land use map usable by SWATbuildR. Script does two things. First, it combines many datasets into a single layer. Such as crop dataset, land use data outside cropland (forest, urban, water, etc), tile drainage extent, existing and potential BMPs implementation sites. Second, it cleans out all topological errors. Arcpy library is required with ArcGIS Advanced license.Example data are provided with the script.", "keywords": ["SWATbuildR", "landuse", "OPTAIN", "script", "15. Life on land", "Python"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Svajunas Plunge", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7509100"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.7509100", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.7509100", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.7509100"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2023-01-06T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.7509101", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:24:37Z", "type": "Software", "title": "Python script to prepare land use map for SWATbuildR", "description": "Script helps to prepare land use map usable by SWATbuildR. Script does two things. First, it combines many datasets into a single layer. Such as crop dataset, land use data outside cropland (forest, urban, water, etc), tile drainage extent, existing and potential BMPs implementation sites. Second, it cleans out all topological errors. Arcpy library is required with ArcGIS Advanced license.Example data are provided with the script.", "keywords": ["SWATbuildR", "landuse", "OPTAIN", "script", "15. Life on land", "Python"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Svajunas Plunge", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7509101"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.7509101", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.7509101", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.7509101"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2023-01-06T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10261/253007", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:25:38Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-08-17", "title": "Multi-Step Calibration Approach for SWAT Model Using Soil Moisture and Crop Yields in a Small Agricultural Catchment", "description": "

The quantitative prediction of hydrological components through hydrological models could serve as a basis for developing better land and water management policies. This study provides a comprehensive step by step modelling approach for a small agricultural watershed using the SWAT model. The watershed is situated in Petzenkirchen in the western part of Lower Austria and has total area of 66 hectares. At present, 87% of the catchment area is arable land, 5% is used as pasture, 6% is forested and 2% is paved. The calibration approach involves a sequential calibration of the model starting from surface runoff, and groundwater flow, followed by crop yields and then soil moisture, and finally total streamflow and sediment yields. Calibration and validation are carried out using the r-package SWATplusR. The impact of each calibration step on sediment yields and total streamflow is evaluated. The results of this approach are compared with those of the conventional model calibration approach, where all the parameters governing various hydrological processes are calibrated simultaneously. Results showed that the model was capable of successfully predicting surface runoff, groundwater flow, soil profile water content, total streamflow and sediment yields with Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) of greater than 0.75. Crop yields were also well simulated with a percent bias (PBIAS) ranging from \u221217% to 14%. Surface runoff calibration had the highest impact on streamflow output, improving NSE from 0.39 to 0.77. The step-wise calibration approach performed better for streamflow prediction than the simultaneous calibration approach. The results of this study show that the step-wise calibration approach is more accurate, and provides a better representation of different hydrological components and processes than the simultaneous calibration approach.

", "keywords": ["Step-wise calibration", "2. Zero hunger", "step-wise calibration", "Crop yields", "soil erosion model", "Sequential calibration", "Sediment yield", "0207 environmental engineering", "HOAL", "crop yields", "Streamflow", "SWATplusR", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "02 engineering and technology", "15. Life on land", "sediment yield", "6. Clean water", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "SWAT", "Soil erosion model", "streamflow", "Soil moisture", "soil moisture", "sequential calibration"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/16/2238/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/16/2238/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10261/253007"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Water", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10261/253007", "name": "item", "description": "10261/253007", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10261/253007"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-08-17T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10261/253178", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:25:38Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-12-21", "title": "Farm-Scale Biofuel Crop Adoption and Its Effects on In-Basin Water Balance", "description": "

In the face of future climate change, Europe has encouraged the adoption of biofuel crops by its farmers. Such land-use changes can have significant impacts on the water balance and hydrological behavior of a system. While the heavy pesticide use associated with biofuel crops has been extensively studied, the water balance impacts of these crops have been far less studied. We conducted scenario analyses using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to determine the effects of farm-scale biofuel crop adoption (rapeseed) on a basin\u2019s water balance. We found that rapeseed adoption does not support the goal of developing a sustainable agricultural landscape in the Czech Republic. The adoption of rapeseed also had disproportionate effects on a basin\u2019s water balance depending on its location in the basin. Additionally, discharge (especially surface runoff ratios), evapotranspiration, and available soil water content display significant shifts in the rapeseed adoption scenarios.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "biofuel crop", "Sustainable agriculture", "0207 environmental engineering", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "02 engineering and technology", "15. Life on land", "End hunger", " achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture", "7. Clean energy", "6. Clean water", "sustainable agriculture", "water balance", "http://metadata.un.org/sdg/2", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "SWAT model", "Water balance", "Biofuel crop"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/24/10596/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/24/10596/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10261/253178"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Sustainability", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10261/253178", "name": "item", "description": "10261/253178", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10261/253178"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-12-18T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10261/279275", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-23T16:25:40Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-12-14", "title": "The Small Water Cycle in the Czech Landscape: How Has It Been Affected by Land Management Changes Over Time?", "description": "

For the Czech Republic to recover from the effects of past mismanagement, it is necessary to determine how its landscape management can be improved holistically by reinforcing the small water cycle. We conducted a scenario analysis across four time periods using SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) to determine the effects of land use, land management, and crop rotation shifts since the 1800s in what is now the Czech Republic. The 1852 and 1954 land-use scenarios behaved the most similarly hydrologically across all four scenarios, likely due to minimal landscape transformation and the fact that these two scenarios occur prior to the widespread incorporation of subsurface tile drainages across the landscape. Additionally, the crop rotation of 1920\u20131938 reinforces the small water cycle the most, while that of 1950\u20131989 reinforces the small water cycle the least. Diversified crop rotations should be incentivized to farmers, and increasing the areas of forest, brush, and permanent grassland should be prioritized to further reinforce the small water cycle. It is necessary to foster relationships and open communication between watershed managers, landowners, and scientists to improve the small water cycle and to pave the way for successful future hydrological modeling in the Czech Republic.

", "keywords": ["landscape management; small water cycle; crop rotation; land-use change; scenario analysis; SWAT", "2. Zero hunger", "Land-use change", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Small water cycle", "01 natural sciences", "Scenario analysis", "6. Clean water", "Landscape management", "Crop rotation", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "SWAT", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/24/13757/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/24/13757/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10261/279275"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Sustainability", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10261/279275", "name": "item", "description": "10261/279275", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10261/279275"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-12-13T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10261/279277", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-06-23T16:25:40Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-05-04", "title": "The Effects of Agricultural Conservation Practices on the Small Water Cycle: From the Farm- to the Management-Scale", "description": "

Reinforcing the small water cycle is considered to be a holistic approach to both water resource and landscape management. In an agricultural landscape, this can be accomplished by incorporating agricultural conservation practices; their incorporation can reduce surface runoff, increase infiltration, and increase the water holding capacity of a soil. Some typical agricultural conservation practices include: conservation tillage, contour farming, residue incorporation, and reducing field sizes; these efforts aim to keep both water and soil in the landscape. The incorporation of such practices has been extensively studied over the last 40 years. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to model two basins in the Czech Republic (one at the farm-scale and a second at the management-scale) to determine the effects of agriculture conservation practice adoption at each scale. We found that at the farm-scale, contour farming was the most effective practice at reinforcing the small water cycle, followed by residue incorporation. At the management-scale, we found that the widespread incorporation of agricultural conservation practices significantly reinforced the small water cycle, but the relative scale and spatial distribution of their incorporation were not reflected in the SWAT scenario analysis. Individual farmers should be incentivized to adopt agricultural conservation practices, as these practices can have great effects at the farm-scale. At the management-scale, the spatial distribution of agricultural conservation practice adoption was not significant in this study, implying that managers should incentivize any adoption of such practices and that the small water cycle would be reinforced regardless.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "S", "BMPs", "small water cycle", "Agriculture", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Small water cycle", "6. Clean water", "small water cycle; agricultural conservation practices; BMPs; SWAT", "13. Climate action", "Agricultural conservation practices", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "SWAT", "agricultural conservation practices"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/5/683/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/5/683/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10261/279277"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Land", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10261/279277", "name": "item", "description": "10261/279277", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10261/279277"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-05-04T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "1854/LU-01J9NQCTA3B39X0MAC0P804GF5", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:26:13Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-09-20", "title": "Model-based analysis of the impact of climate change on hydrology in the Guayas River basin (Ecuador)", "description": "ABSTRACT

Worldwide climate change will most likely lead to drastic changes in hydrology and food production. In this study, the impact of climate change on the hydrological regime and the fate of pesticides in the Guayas River basin is investigated using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool. Four general circulation models and three representative concentration pathways (RCP 4.5, RCP 6.0 and RCP 8.5) for three future periods were used to assess impact of climate change. Future projections showed a maximum increase in the average monthly precipitation of 40% in June, as well as an increase in an average minimum temperature of 3.85\uffc2\uffb0C for July and an average maximum temperature of 4.5\uffc2\uffb0C for August in 2080s. The model simulations based on RCP 8.5 scenario predict an increase in potential evapotranspiration by 11%, surface runoff of 39% and water yield of 33% in 2080s. The pesticide simulation showed the highest water concentrations during the wet season. Projections of trends in pesticide concentration indicate a similar trend to the current situation given the application rate remains the same. The results can be beneficial for the management and planning of the basin to mitigate flood and water quality-related impacts of food production and climate change.

The intensive use of soil and water resources results in a disbalance between the environmental and economic objectives of the river basin. The water quality management model supports good water status, especially downstream of dams and reservoirs, as in the case of the Sutla/Sotla river basin. This research aims to develop a new, improved integrated water quality management model of rural transboundary basins to achieve environmental objectives and protection of the Natura 2000 sites. The model uses river basin pressure analysis to assess the effects of climate and hydrological extreme impacts, and a programme of basic and supplementary measures. The impact assessment of BASE MODEL, PAST, and FUTURE scenarios was modelled using the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) based on land use, climate and hydrological data, climate change, presence or lack of a reservoir, and municipal wastewater and agriculture measures. Eight future climate change scenarios were obtained with optimistic (RCP4.5) and pessimistic (RCP8.5) forecasts for two periods (2020\u20132050 and 2070\u20132100), both with and without a reservoir. The model shows that the most significant impacts on the waterbody come from the nutrients and sediment hotspots, also shows the risk of not achieving good water status, and water eutrophication risk. The modelled average annual increase in sediment is from 4 to 25% and in total N from 1 to 8%, while the change in total P is from \u22125 to 6%. The conducted analysis provides a base for the selection of tailor-made measures from the catalogue of the supplementary measures that will be outlined in future research.

", "keywords": ["environmental objectives WFD", "integrated water quality management model", "environmental objectives WFD ; integrated water quality management model ; good water status ; rural transboundary river basin ; Sutla/Sotla ; climate change ; scenarios ; SWAT ; measures", "rural transboundary river basin", "01 natural sciences", "11. Sustainability", "hidrologija", "SWAT", "14. Life underwater", "kakovost voda", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences", "vodotoki", "2. Zero hunger", "scenarios", "measures", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water", "Sotla", "climate change", "info:eu-repo/classification/udc/556", "13. Climate action", "vodni mened\u017ement", "Sutla/Sotla", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "SWAT model", "good water status"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/18/2569/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/18/2569/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/20.500.12556/RUL-136343"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Water", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "20.500.12556/RUL-136343", "name": "item", "description": "20.500.12556/RUL-136343", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/20.500.12556/RUL-136343"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-09-17T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "3112227591", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:27:17Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-12-21", "title": "Farm-Scale Biofuel Crop Adoption and Its Effects on In-Basin Water Balance", "description": "

In the face of future climate change, Europe has encouraged the adoption of biofuel crops by its farmers. Such land-use changes can have significant impacts on the water balance and hydrological behavior of a system. While the heavy pesticide use associated with biofuel crops has been extensively studied, the water balance impacts of these crops have been far less studied. We conducted scenario analyses using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to determine the effects of farm-scale biofuel crop adoption (rapeseed) on a basin\u2019s water balance. We found that rapeseed adoption does not support the goal of developing a sustainable agricultural landscape in the Czech Republic. The adoption of rapeseed also had disproportionate effects on a basin\u2019s water balance depending on its location in the basin. Additionally, discharge (especially surface runoff ratios), evapotranspiration, and available soil water content display significant shifts in the rapeseed adoption scenarios.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "biofuel crop", "Sustainable agriculture", "0207 environmental engineering", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "02 engineering and technology", "15. Life on land", "End hunger", " achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture", "7. Clean energy", "6. Clean water", "sustainable agriculture", "water balance", "http://metadata.un.org/sdg/2", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "SWAT model", "Water balance", "Biofuel crop"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/24/10596/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/24/10596/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/3112227591"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Sustainability", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "3112227591", "name": "item", "description": "3112227591", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/3112227591"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-12-18T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "3195029335", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:27:24Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-08-18", "title": "Multi-Step Calibration Approach for SWAT Model Using Soil Moisture and Crop Yields in a Small Agricultural Catchment", "description": "

The quantitative prediction of hydrological components through hydrological models could serve as a basis for developing better land and water management policies. This study provides a comprehensive step by step modelling approach for a small agricultural watershed using the SWAT model. The watershed is situated in Petzenkirchen in the western part of Lower Austria and has total area of 66 hectares. At present, 87% of the catchment area is arable land, 5% is used as pasture, 6% is forested and 2% is paved. The calibration approach involves a sequential calibration of the model starting from surface runoff, and groundwater flow, followed by crop yields and then soil moisture, and finally total streamflow and sediment yields. Calibration and validation are carried out using the r-package SWATplusR. The impact of each calibration step on sediment yields and total streamflow is evaluated. The results of this approach are compared with those of the conventional model calibration approach, where all the parameters governing various hydrological processes are calibrated simultaneously. Results showed that the model was capable of successfully predicting surface runoff, groundwater flow, soil profile water content, total streamflow and sediment yields with Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) of greater than 0.75. Crop yields were also well simulated with a percent bias (PBIAS) ranging from \u221217% to 14%. Surface runoff calibration had the highest impact on streamflow output, improving NSE from 0.39 to 0.77. The step-wise calibration approach performed better for streamflow prediction than the simultaneous calibration approach. The results of this study show that the step-wise calibration approach is more accurate, and provides a better representation of different hydrological components and processes than the simultaneous calibration approach.

", "keywords": ["Step-wise calibration", "2. Zero hunger", "step-wise calibration", "Crop yields", "soil erosion model", "Sequential calibration", "Sediment yield", "0207 environmental engineering", "HOAL", "crop yields", "Streamflow", "SWATplusR", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "02 engineering and technology", "15. Life on land", "sediment yield", "6. Clean water", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "SWAT", "Soil erosion model", "streamflow", "Soil moisture", "soil moisture", "sequential calibration"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/16/2238/pdf"}, {"href": "https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/16/2238/pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/3195029335"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Water", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "3195029335", "name": "item", "description": "3195029335", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/3195029335"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-08-17T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "42576a01-08c0-4d05-a33f-5f6143857b56", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2021-06-21T00:00:00Z", "type": "Dataset", "title": "Bottom sediments \u2013 grain size", "description": "Bottom sediments (grain size) show grain size composition in the upper part of the seabed sediments (top 0-10\u00a0cm) of the seabed. The data set series consists of three data sets: Bottom sediments (grain size), overview, Bunns sediments (grain size), regional and Bunns sediments (grain size), detailed, which are digitised on different scales and have different coverage areas.", "formats": [{"name": "GDB"}], "keywords": ["avsetning", "barentshavet", "barentswatch", "bunntype", "fellesdatakatalog", "geologi", "geology", "grus", "havbunn", "kornst\u00f8rrelse", "leire", "l\u00f8smasser", "mareano", "marin", "marine-grunnkart", "marinegrunnkart", "national", "natur", "ngu", "no", "nordsj\u00f8en", "norge", "norge-digitalt", "norskehavet", "sand", "sea-regions", "sediment", "sedimentasjon", "slam", "soil", "\u00f8kologiskgrunnkart"], "contacts": [{"organization": "https://register.geonorge.no/organisasjoner/norges-geologiske-unders\u00f8kelse/aave_lepland", "roles": ["publisher"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://kartkatalog.geonorge.no/Metadata/uuid/42576a01-08c0-4d05-a33f-5f6143857b56"}, {"href": "https://kartkatalog.geonorge.no/metadata/uuid/42576a01-08c0-4d05-a33f-5f6143857b56"}, {"href": "https://www.ngu.no/emne/datasett-og-nedlasting?field_temagruppe_tid=2362&visning=liste"}, {"href": "http://data.europa.eu/88u/dataset/42576a01-08c0-4d05-a33f-5f6143857b56"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "42576a01-08c0-4d05-a33f-5f6143857b56", "name": "item", "description": "42576a01-08c0-4d05-a33f-5f6143857b56", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/42576a01-08c0-4d05-a33f-5f6143857b56"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"null": "date"}}, {"id": "6fd2f113-9c67-49a4-99e1-8c6c7d4d5e72", "type": "Feature", "geometry": {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-17.0, -34.0], [-17.0, 17.5], [49.0, 17.5], [49.0, -34.0], [-17.0, -34.0]]]}, "properties": {"themes": [{"concepts": [{"id": "geoscientificInformation"}], "scheme": "https://standards.iso.org/iso/19139/resources/gmxCodelists.xml#MD_TopicCategoryCode"}, {"concepts": [{"id": "Soil science"}], "scheme": "Stratum"}, {"concepts": [{"id": "Angola"}, {"id": "Benin"}, {"id": "Botswana"}, {"id": "Burkina Faso"}, {"id": "Burundi"}, {"id": "Cameroon"}, {"id": "Central African Republic"}, {"id": "Chad"}, {"id": "Demcratic Republic of the Congo"}, {"id": "Eswatini"}, {"id": "Ethiopia"}, {"id": "Gabon"}, {"id": "Ghana"}, {"id": "Guinea"}, {"id": "Guinea-Bissau"}, {"id": "Kenya"}, {"id": "Lesotho"}, {"id": "Madagascar"}, {"id": "Malawi"}, {"id": "Mali"}, {"id": "Mauritania"}, {"id": "Mozambique"}, {"id": "Namibia"}, {"id": "Niger"}, {"id": "Nigeria"}, {"id": "Republic of the Congo"}, {"id": "Rwanda"}, {"id": "Senegal"}, {"id": "Sierra Leone"}, {"id": "Somalia"}, {"id": "South Africa"}, {"id": "South Sudan"}, {"id": "Sudan"}, {"id": "Tanzania"}, {"id": "Togo"}, {"id": "Uganda"}, {"id": "Zambia"}, {"id": "Zimbabwe"}], "scheme": "Region"}], "updated": "2021-07-14T11:51:39", "type": "Dataset", "language": "eng", "title": "Africa Soil Profiles Database, version 1.0", "description": "ISRIC World Soil Information is compiling legacy soil profile data of Sub Saharan Africa, as a project activity of the AfSIS project (Globally integrated Africa Soil Information Service). http://africasoils.net/services/data/soil-databases/\n\nAfrica Soil Profiles database, version. 1.0 (April 2012) identifies less than 15700 unique soil profiles inventoried from a wide variety of data sources. From the less than 14600 profiles that are geo-referenced, soil layer attribute data are available for less than 12500 and soil analytical data for less than 10000 profiles. The database includes, but is not limited, to the soil attributes specified by GlobalSoilMap.net. Soil attribute values are standardized according to e-SOTER conventions and validated according to routine rules. Odd values are flagged. The degree of validation, and associated reliability of the data, varies because reference soil profile data, that are previously and thoroughly validated, are compiled together with non-reference soil profile data of lesser inherent representativeness.\n \nUpdated milestone versions of the dataset have been posted online and made available to the project serving as input to the soil property maps generated by AfSIS. The continuously growing dataset will also be made available through the World Soil Information Service upon continuation of the project activity. The version is released here is version 1.0., the latest version is 1.1.", "formats": [{"name": "zip"}, {"name": "WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-ftp--download"}, {"name": "WWW:LINK-1.0-http--related"}], "keywords": ["soil profiles", "Soil science", "Angola", "Benin", "Botswana", "Burkina Faso", "Burundi", "Cameroon", "Central African Republic", "Chad", "Demcratic Republic of the Congo", "Eswatini", "Ethiopia", "Gabon", "Ghana", "Guinea", "Guinea-Bissau", "Kenya", "Lesotho", "Madagascar", "Malawi", "Mali", "Mauritania", "Mozambique", "Namibia", "Niger", "Nigeria", "Republic of the Congo", "Rwanda", "Senegal", "Sierra Leone", "Somalia", "South Africa", "South Sudan", "Sudan", "Tanzania", "Togo", "Uganda", "Zambia", "Zimbabwe"], "contacts": [{"name": "Ad van Oostrum", "organization": "ISRIC - World Soil Information", "position": "Guest researcher", "roles": ["Author"], "phones": [{"value": null}], "emails": [{"value": "ad.vanoostrum@wur.nl"}], "addresses": [{"deliveryPoint": ["PO Box 353"], "city": "Wageningen", "administrativeArea": null, "postalCode": "6700AJ", "country": "Netherlands"}], "links": [{"href": null}]}, {"name": "Johan Leenaars", "organization": "ISRIC - World Soil Information", "position": "Senior soil scientist", "roles": ["Author"], "phones": [{"value": null}], "emails": [{"value": "johan.leenaars@wur.nl"}], "addresses": [{"deliveryPoint": ["PO Box 353"], "city": "Wageningen", "administrativeArea": null, "postalCode": "6700AJ", "country": "Netherlands"}], "links": [{"href": null}]}], "denominator": "2500000"}, "links": [{"href": "https://files.isric.org/public/afsp/AF-AfSP1.0.zip", "name": "Download", "protocol": "WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-ftp--download", "rel": "download"}, {"href": "https://isric.org/projects/africa-soil-profiles-database-afsp", "name": "Project webpage", "protocol": "WWW:LINK-1.0-http--related", "rel": "information"}, {"href": "https://isric.org/sites/default/files/isric_report_2012_03.pdf", "name": "Report", "protocol": "WWW:LINK-1.0-http--related", "rel": "information"}, {"href": "https://files.isric.org/public/thumbnails/afsp/AfSP010Qry_ISRIC.png", "name": "preview", "description": "Web image thumbnail (URL)", "protocol": "WWW:LINK-1.0-http--image-thumbnail", "rel": "preview"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "6fd2f113-9c67-49a4-99e1-8c6c7d4d5e72", "name": "item", "description": "6fd2f113-9c67-49a4-99e1-8c6c7d4d5e72", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/6fd2f113-9c67-49a4-99e1-8c6c7d4d5e72"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"interval": ["1925-01-01T00:00:00Z", "2011-01-01T00:00:00Z"]}}, {"id": "PMC10039844", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:29:40Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2023-03-25", "title": "Evaluating the impacts of sustainable land management practices on water quality in an agricultural catchment in Lower Austria using SWAT", "description": "Abstract

Managing agricultural watersheds in an environmentally friendly manner necessitate the strategic implementation of well-targeted sustainable land management (SLM) practices that limit soil and nonpoint source pollution losses and translocation. Watershed-scale SLM-scenario modeling has the potential to identify efficient and effective management strategies from the field to the integrated landscape level. In a case study targeting a 66-hectare watershed in Petzenkirchen, Lower Austria, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was utilized to evaluate a variety of locally adoptable SLM practices. SWAT was calibrated and validated (monthly) at the catchment outlet for flow, sediment, nitrate-nitrogen (NO3\uffe2\uff80\uff93N), ammonium nitrogen (NH4\uffe2\uff80\uff93N), and mineralized phosphorus (PO4\uffe2\uff80\uff93P) using SWATplusR. Considering the locally existing agricultural practices and socioeconomic and environmental factors of the research area, four conservation practices were evaluated: baseline scenario, contour farming (CF), winter cover crops (CC), and a combination of no-till and cover crops (NT\uffe2\uff80\uff89+\uffe2\uff80\uff89CC). The NT\uffe2\uff80\uff89+\uffe2\uff80\uff89CC SLM practice was found to be the most effective soil conservation practice in reducing soil loss by around 80%, whereas CF obtained the best results for decreasing the nutrient loads of NO3\uffe2\uff80\uff93N and PO4\uffe2\uff80\uff93P by 11% and 35%, respectively. The findings of this study imply that the setup SWAT model can serve the context-specific performance assessment and eventual promotion of SLM interventions that mitigate on-site land degradation and the consequential off-site environmental pollution resulting from agricultural nonpoint sources.