Hydrological Modelling of Chenab Catchment Using Satellite Based Rainfall Estimates

Limited availability of hydro-meteorological data dominates water management in many catchments. One of the possible solutions seems to be in making use of the variety of satellite based rainfall estimates. Hydrological modelling with satellite based rainfall estimates may provide useful information for efficient basin management. In this study we analyse the usability of satellite based rainfall estimates TRMM and PERSIANN-CDR for hydrological modelling of the transboundary Chenab catchment shared by Pakistan (58% of total area) and India (42 % of total area). In the recent past, recurring floods have caused massive economic damages in Chenab and other basins in Pakistan. The topographical feature of the area was extracted using data from Shuttle Radar Tropical Mission (SRTM) with 90m x 90m resolution. The land use data from Global Land Cover Facility (GLCF) and evapotranspiration data from the GeoNetwork portal of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was used as inputs in the hydrological model. The snowmelt in the upper catchment was modelled using the temperature data obtained from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF-ERA Interim). HEC-HMS models were developed for both satellite based rainfall datasets. These models were calibrated for the years 2008 to 2014 while validated using data from 2003 to 2007. Results showed that on monthly scale TRMM data provided NSE 0.76 and 0.62 while with PERSIANN-CDR 0.75 and 0.50 in calibration and validation respectively Both the satellite based rainfall estimates captured the observed trends and have the potential to be used as an alternative to missing gauge data.