Snowmelt runoff modeling: Limitations and potential for mitigating water disputes

Conceptual snowmelt runoff models have proven useful for estimating discharge from remote mountain basins including those spanning the various ranges of the Himalaya. Such models can provide water resource managers with fairly accurate predictions of water availability for operational purposes (e.g. irrigation and hydropower). However, these models have limited ability to address characteristic components of water disputes such as diversions, storage and withholding. Contemporary disputes between India and Pakistan surrounding the snowmelt-derived water resources of the Upper Indus Basin highlight the need for improved water balance accounting methods. We present a research agenda focused on providing refined hydrological contributions to water dispute mitigation efforts.