This thesis aims to quantify the human impact on the natural resource water at the landscape scale. The drivers in the federal state of Brandenburg (Germany), the area under investigation, are land-use changes induced by policy decisions at European and federal state level. The water resources of the federal state are particularly sensitive to changes in land-use due to low precipitation rates in the summer combined with sandy soils and high evapotranspiration rates. Key elements in landscape hydrology are forests because of their unique capacity to transport water from the soil to the atmosphere. Given these circumstances, decisions made at any level of administration that may have effects on the forest sector in the state are critical in relation to the water cycle. It is therefore essential to evaluate any decision that may change forest area and structure in such a sensitive region. Thus, as a first step, it was necessary to develop and implement a model able to simulate possible interactions and feedbacks between forested surfaces and the hydrological cycle at the landscape scale. The result is a model for simulating the hydrological properties of forest stands based on a robust computation of the temporal and spatial LAI (leaf area index) dynamics. The approach allows the simulation of all relevant hydrological processes with a low parameter demand. It includes the interception of precipitation and transpiration of forest stands with and without groundwater in the rooting zone. The model also considers phenology, biomass allocation, as well as mortality and simple management practices. It has been implemented as a module in the eco-hydrological model SWIM (Soil and Water Integrated Model). This model has been tested in two pre-studies to verify the applicability of its hydrological process description for the hydrological conditions typical for the state. The newly implemented forest module has been tested for Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) and in parts for Common Oak (Quercus robur and Q. petraea) in Brandenburg. For Scots Pine the results demonstrate a good simulation of annual biomass increase and LAI in addition to the satisfactory simulation of litter production. A comparison of the simulated and measured data of the May sprout for Scots pine and leaf unfolding for Oak, as well as the evaluation against daily transpiration measurements for Scots Pine, does support the applicability of the approach. The interception of precipitation has also been simulated and compared with weekly observed data for a Scots Pine stand which displays satisfactory results in both the vegetation periods and annual sums. After the development and testing phase, the model is used to analyse the effects of two scenarios. The first scenario is an increase in forest area on abandoned agricultural land that is triggered by a decrease in European agricultural production support. The second one is a shift in species composition from predominant Scots Pine to Common Oak that is based on decisions of the regional forestry authority to support a more natural species composition. The scenario effects are modelled for the federal state of Brandenburg on a 50m grid utilising spatially explicit land-use patterns. The results, for the first scenario, suggest a negative impact of an increase in forest area (9.4% total state area) on the regional water balance, causing an increase in mean long-term annual evapotranspiration of 3.7% at 100% afforestation when compared to no afforestation. The relatively small annual change conceals a much more pronounced seasonal effect of a mean long-term evapotranspiration increase by 25.1% in the spring causing a pronounced reduction in groundwater recharge and runoff. The reduction causes a lag effect that aggravates the scarcity of water resources in the summer. In contrast, in the second scenario, a change in species composition in existing forests (29.2% total state area) from predominantly Scots Pine to Common Oak decreases the long-term annual mean evapotranspiration by 3.4%, accompanied by a much weaker, but apparent, seasonal pattern. Both scenarios exhibit a high spatial heterogeneity because of the distinct natural conditions in the different regions of the state. Areas with groundwater levels near the surface are particularly sensitive to changes in forest area and regions with relatively high proportion of forest respond strongly to the change in species composition. In both cases this regional response is masked by a smaller linear mean effect for the total state area. Two critical sources of uncertainty in the model results have been investigated. The first one originates from the model calibration parameters estimated in the pre-study for lowland regions, such as the federal state. The combined effect of the parameters, when changed within their physical meaningful limits, unveils an overestimation of the mean water balance by 1.6%. However, the distribution has a wide spread with 14.7% for the 90th percentile and -9.9% for the 10th percentile. The second source of uncertainty emerges from the parameterisation of the forest module. The analysis exhibits a standard deviation of 0.6 % over a ten year period in the mean of the simulated evapotranspiration as a result of variance in the key forest parameters. The analysis suggests that the combined uncertainty in the model results is dominated by the uncertainties of calibration parameters. Therefore, the effect of the first scenario might be underestimated because the calculated increase in evapotranspiration is too small. This may lead to an overestimation of the water balance towards runoff and groundwater recharge. The opposite can be assumed for the second scenario in which the decrease in evapotranspiration might be overestimated. / Das übergreifende Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist es, die Interaktion zwischen Landnutzungsänderung und dem Landschaftswasserhaushalt zu quantifizieren. Das Untersuchungsgebiet für die Analyse ist das Land Brandenburg. Bedingt durch seine Kombination geringer Sommerniederschläge mit der Dominanz sandiger Böden und hoher Verdunstungsraten, insbesondere von den großflächigen Wäldern und Forsten, ist es besonders empfindlich gegenüber Landnutzungsänderung. Waldflächen sind Schlüsselelemente im Landschaftswasserhaushalt, da sie den Bodenwasserspeicher effizienter mit der Atmosphäre koppeln als die meisten anderen Vegetationsformen. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit war es daher notwendig, ein geeignetes Modellkonzept zu finden. Der Ansatz sollte in der Lage sein, die hydrologischen Effekte auf Landschaftsebene zu modellieren, ohne dabei die Datenverfügbarkeit in diesem Anwendungsbereich zu überschreiten. Das entwickelte Modellkonzept wurde in das ökohydrologische Einzugsgebietsmodell SWIM (Soil Water Integrated Model) integriert. Nach einer Test- und Entwicklungsphase konnte das Modell für die integrierte Analyse der Wirkung von zwei Szenarien auf den Landeswasserhaushalt verwendet werden. Das erste Szenario beschäftigt sich mit der möglichen Zunahme der Waldfläche als Folge der Neuausrichtung der Agrarsubventionspolitik der Europäischen Union. Die Waldflächenzunahme führt zu einer Steigerung der Evapotranspiration im langjährigen Mittel. Das zweite Szenario behandelt die Auswirkung des Brandenburger Waldumbauprogramms und hat eine vergleichsweise geringe Abnahme der langjährigen mittleren Verdunstung zur Folge. Der lineare mittlere Verlauf überdeckt ein ausgeprägtes räumliches und saisonales Muster der Veränderung. Die Zonen starker Effekte der beider Szenarien überlappen sich nur in einigen Fällen, so ist es möglich, dass die positiven Wirkungen des Waldumbauprogramms in einigen Regionen durch eine mögliche Ausweitung der Waldfläche aufgehoben werden. Die vorgestellten Ergebnisse zeigen deutlich, dass Landnutzungsänderungen, die durch politische oder administrative Entscheidungen ausgelöst werden, Auswirkungen auf elementare Landschaftsfunktionen wie den Wasserhaushalt haben. Es wird deutlich, dass ein integrativer Modellierungsansatz, der die wahrscheinlichen Wirkungen administrativer Entscheidungen in Betracht zieht, Grundlagen für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung liefern kann. Diese Ergebnisse werden umso relevanter, je stärker die betroffene Ressource bereits eingeschränkt ist. In Bezug auf die Wasserressourcen im Land Brandenburg ist das der Fall und aktuelle Studien zum Globalen Wandel in der Region prognostizieren eine Verschärfung dieser Situation.

Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Untersuchung der Wasserhaushaltsprozesse und Stofftransportvorgänge innerhalb der grundwassergeprägten Talauenlandschaften von Tieflandeinzugsgebieten am Beispiel der im Nordostdeutschen Tiefland gelegenen Havel. Die Arbeiten in verschieden skaligen Teileinzugsgebieten der Havel beschäftigen sich dabei zum einen mit der experimentellen Untersuchung und vorrangig qualitativen Beschreibung der Wasserhaushaltsdynamik, zum anderen mit der Entwicklung eines zur quantitativen Analyse von Wasserhaushalts- und Stofftransportprozessen geeigneten Modells und der anschließenden Modellsimulation von Wasserhaushalt und Stickstoffmetabolik im Grundwasser sowie der Simulation von Landnutzungs- und Gewässerstrukturszenarien.<br><br> Für die experimentelle Untersuchung der Abflussbildung und der Wasserhaushaltsprozesse in den Talauenlandschaften des Haveleinzugsgebiets wurde Einzugsgebiet der &#8221;Unteren Havel Niederung&#8220; ein umfangreiches Messnetz installiert. Dabei wurden an mehreren Messstationen und Pegeln meteorologische Parameter, Bodenfeuchte sowie Grundwasserstände und Abflüsse beobachtet. Die Analyse der Messergebnisse führte zu einem verbesserten Verständnis von Wasserhaushaltsprozessen in der durch das oberflächennahe Grundwasser und die Oberflächengewässerdynamik beeinflussten Talauenzone. Darüber hinaus konnten durch die Implementierung der Messergebnisse konsistente Anfangs- und Randbedingungen für die Wasserhaushalts- und Grundwassermodellierung im Modellkonzept IWAN realisiert werden. Mit dem Modell IWAN (Integrated Modelling of Water Balance and Nutrient Dynamics) wurde ein Werkzeug geschaffen, welches die Berücksichtigung spezifischer hydrologischer Eigenschaften von Tieflandauen, wie z. B. den Einfluss des oberflächennahen Grundwassers bzw. der Dynamik von Oberflächenwasserständen auf den Wasserhaushalt, ermöglicht. Es basiert auf der Kopplung des deterministischen distribuierten hydrologischen Modells WASIM-ETH mit dem dreidimensionalen Finite-Differenzen-basierten Grundwassermodel MODFLOW. Die Modellierung der Stickstoffmetabolik im Grundwasser erfolgt durch das mit Grundwassermodell gekoppelte Stofftransportmodel MT3D. Zur modellbasierten Simulation des Wasserhaushalts der Tieflandauenlandschaften wurde das Modellkonzept IWAN für verschieden skalige Teileinzugsgebiete an der Havel für Simulationszeiträume von 2 Wochen bis zu 13 Jahren angewandt. Dabei wurden die Teilmodelle für Wasserhaushalts- und Grundwassermodellierung in zwei unterschiedlichen Teileinzugsgebieten der &#8221;Unteren Havel Niederung&#8220; kalibriert. Die anschließende Validierung erfolgte für das gesamte Einzugsgebiet der &#8221;Unteren Havel&#8220;. Die Unsicherheiten des Modellansatzes sowie die Anwendbarkeit des Modells im Untersuchungsraum wurden geprüft und die Limitierung der Übertragbarkeit auf andere grundwasserbeeinflusste Tieflandeinzugsgebiete analysiert. Die Ergebnisse der Wasserhaushaltssimulationen führen einerseits zum erweiterten Prozessverständnis des Wasserhaushalts in Flachlandeinzugsgebieten, andererseits ermöglichten sie durch die Quantifizierung einzelner Prozessgrößen die Beurteilung der Steuerungsfunktion einzelner Wasserhaushaltsprozesse. Auf der Basis lokaler Simulationsergebnisse sowie geomorphologischer und gewässermorphologischer Analysen wurde ein Algorithmus entwickelt, welcher die Abgrenzung des direkten Eigeneinzugsgebiets der Havel als Raum der direkten Interaktion zwischen Oberflächengewässer und umgebendem Einzugsgebiet beschreibt. Durch Simulation des Wasserhaushalts im Eigeneinzugsgebiet mit dem Modell IWAN konnten die Interaktionsprozesse zwischen Fluss und Talauenlandschaft quantitativ beschrieben werden. Dies ermöglichte eine Bewertung der Abflussanteile aus dem Eigeneinzugsgebiet sowie eine Quantifizierung der zeitlich variablen Retentionskapazität der Auenlandschaft während Hochwasserereignissen. Zur Abschätzung des Einflusses veränderter Landnutzung und angepassten Managements auf den Wasserhaushalt der Talaue wurden Szenarien entwickelt, welche Änderungen der Landnutzung sowie der Gewässergeometrie implizieren. Die Simulation des Wasserhaushalts unter jeweiligen Szenariobedingungen ermöglichte die detaillierte Analyse sich ändernder Randbedingungen auf den Gebietswasserhaushalt und auf die Austauschprozesse zwischen Grundwasser und Oberflächengewässer. Zur Untersuchung der Stickstoffmetabolik im Grundwasser der Talauenlandschaft wurde das im Modellkonzept IWAN integrierte Stofftransportmodell MT3D für das Eigeneinzugsgebiet der Havel angewandt. Dies ermöglichte eine Bilanzierung der aus dem Grundwasser des Eigeneinzugsgebiets stammenden Nitratfrachtanteile der Havel sowie von Nitratkonzentrationen im Grundwasser. Szenariensimulationen, welche verminderte Nitrateinträge aus der durchwurzelten Bodenzone annehmen, ermöglichten die Quantifizierung der Effizienz von Managementmaßnahmen und Landnutzungsänderungen in Hinblick auf die Minimierung von Einträgen in Grundwasser und Oberflächengewässer. / For a sustainable management of lowland river basins, a comprehensive knowledge about floodplain water balance and nutrient transport processes is required. This investigation aims to analyse water balance processes and nutrient dynamics and transport within the groundwater influenced floodplains of lowland areas. Thus, the investigation was focused on the Havel river catchment at the Northeast German Lowlands, which is a typical example of a lowland floodplain. Experimental investigations were performed at different spatial scales for qualitative analysis of water balance. The complex model IWAN was developed which enables the simulation and quantitative analysis of water balance and nutrient dynamics. Furthermore it allows the scenario based simulation and analysis of changing landuse management and boundary conditions.<br><br> For experimental investigation of runoff generation and water balance processes within the floodplains of the Havel river an extensive measurement campaign was installed at several testsites of the 198 km2 catchment of the &#8220;Lower Havel river basin&#8220;. These testsites include stations and gauges for the observation of meteorological parameters, soil moisture, groundwater depths and river runoff. Analysis of the observed data led to an improved understanding of water balance processes within the specific part of the floodplain which is influenced by the dynamics of the uppermost groundwater and by the surface water dynamics. Furthermore the implementation of the observed data within the model concept realised the consistent definition of time variable, spatial distributed initial and boundary conditions. The IWAN model was developed as a tool which implements the speci- fic hydrological characteristics of floodplains within the concept of modelling water balance and nutrient dynamics. It is based on the coupling of the distributed deterministic hydrological model WASIM-ETH with the three-dimensional finite difference based numerical groundwater model MODLFOW. Simulation of the metabolism of nitrogen within the groundwater passage was realised by the nutrient transport model MT3D which was coupled with the groundwater model. For model based simulation of the water balance within lowland river floodplains the IWAN model was applied for different scaled subcatchments of the Havel river with varying sizes from 2 to 1000 km2 and simulation periods from 2 weeks up to 13 years. Calibration of the model was performed for two different sized subcatchments of the &#8220;Lower Havel river basin&#8220;. The subsequent validation of the model focused on the entire &#8220;Lower Havel river basin&#8220;. Uncertainties of the model approach and the limited applicability and transferability for further groundwater influenced floodplain landscapes were analysed. The results of the water balance simulations led to an improved understanding of the processes and dynamics within floodplains. It furthermore enabled the quantification and impact analysis of certain processes and interactions. Based on local simulation results and on the analysis of surface and groundwater morphology an algorithm was developed which was used for delineation of the direct catchment of the Havel river. This direct catchment is specified as the part of the floodplain which is characterised by the direct interaction between river and adjacent catchment. Water balance simulations with the IWAN model in the direct catchment led to the quantification of interaction processes between river and floodplain. This enabled the assessment of the runoff fraction from the direct catchment during the ecologically sensitive low flow periods in summer and of the retention capacity of the floodplain during flood events. For the evaluation of the influences of alternative landuse management on the water balance within floodplains, complex scenarios were developed which implemented alterations of landuse or changes of surface water geometries and drainage structures. Simulation of water balances for each scenario allowed the detailed analysis of changing boundary conditions on the floodplain water balance and on the interaction processes between groundwater and river. Modelling nitrogen metabolism within the groundwater: For investigation of the nitrogen metabolism within the groundwater of floodplains the nutrient transport and dynamics model MT3D, which considers also interactions between groundwater and surface waters, was integrated in the IWAN concept. The model was applied for the simulation of nitrate dynamics within the direct catchment of the Havel river.With this approach, the nitrate loads between groundwater and river could be quantified. In addition, nitrate concentrations within the groundwater were analised in dependence of surface water dynamics. Scenario simulations, assuming a decrease of incoming nitrate loads from the root zone, caused by landuse techniques, led to the quantification of the efficiency of landuse changes and advanced management strategies to inhibit pollution of groundwater and surface waters.

<p>The analysis of geologic, hydrologic and hydrogeologic data interpreted to give the characteristics of the Cape Flats aquifer showed the quality of groundwater from the aquifer is suitable for development as a water resource. The conceptual model of the Cape Flats sand shows an unconfined sandy aquifer, grading into semi-confined conditions in some places where thick lenses of clay and peat exists. Recharge rates through the saturated zone of the Cape Flats aquifer have been determined by water table fluctuation (WTF), rainfall-recharge relationship, soil water balance and chloride mass balance methods (CMB). Recharge rates using the WTF vary considerably between wet and dry years and between locations, with a range of 17.3% to 47.5%. Values obtained from empirical rainfall-recharge equation (method 2) agree with those of the WTF. Recharge estimates from the water balance model are comparatively lower but are within the range calculated using empirical method 2 (i.e. 87 &ndash / 194 mm or 4 &ndash / 21% of MAP). These recharge rates also agree with estimates from the series of other methods applied to sites located in the north-western coast of Western Cape and are comparable to recharge rates obtained elsewhere in the world.</p>

Water is essential for all life on earth. Global population increase and climate change are projected to increase the water stress, which already today is very high in many areas of the world. The differences between the largest and smallest global runoff estimates exceed the highest continental runoff estimates. These differences, which are caused by different modelling and measurement techniques together with large natural variabilities need to be further addressed. This thesis focuses on global water balance models that calculate global runoff, evaporation and water storage from precipitation and other climate data. A new global water balance model, WASMOD-M was developed. Already when tuned against the volume error it reasonable produced within-year runoff patterns, but the volume error was not enough to confine the model parameter space. The parameter space and the simulated hydrograph could be better confined with, e.g., the Nash criterion. Calibration against snow-cover data confined the snow parameters better, although some equifinality still persisted. Thus, even the simple WASMOD-M showed signs of being overparameterised. A simple regionalisation procedure that only utilised proximity contributed to calculate a global runoff estimate in line with earlier estimations. The need for better specifications of global runoff estimates was highlighted. Global modellers depend on global data-sets that can have low quality in many areas. Major sources of uncertainty are precipitation and river regulation. A new routing method that utilises high-resolution flow network information in low-resolution calculations was developed and shown to perform well over all spatial scales, while the standard linear reservoir routing decreased in performance with decreasing resolution. This algorithm, called aggregated time-delay-histogram routing, is intended for inclusion in WASMOD-M.

This thesis describes a method for calculating lake evaporation as a proportion of water inputs (E/I) for large surface water bodies, using stable isotope ratios of oxygen (18O/16O) and hydrogen (2H/1H) in water. Evaporation as a proportion of inflow (E/I) is calculated for each Laurentian Great Lake using a new dataset of 516 analyses of δ18O and δ2H in waters sampled from 75 offshore stations during spring and summer of 2007. This work builds on previous approaches by accounting for lake effects on the overlying atmosphere and assuming conservation of both mass and isotopes (18O and 2H) to better constrain evaporation outputs. Results show that E/I ratios are greatest for headwater Lakes Superior and Michigan and lowest for Lakes Erie and Ontario, controlled largely by the magnitude of hydrologic inputs from upstream chain lakes. For Lake Superior, stable isotopes incorporate evaporation over the past century, providing long-term insights to the lake’s hydrology that may be compared to potential changes under a future – expectedly warmer – climate. Uncertainties in isotopically derived E/I are comparable to conventional energy and mass balance uncertainties. Isotope-derived E/I values are lower than conventional energy and mass balance estimates for Lakes Superior and Michigan. The difference between conventional and isotope estimates may be explained by moisture recycling effects. The isotope-based estimates include only evaporated moisture that is also advected from the lake surface, thereby discounting moisture that evaporates and subsequently reprecipitates on the lake surface downwind as recycled precipitation. This shows an advantage of applying an isotope approach in conjunction with conventional evaporation estimates to quantify both moisture recycling and net losses by evaporation. Depth profiles of 18O/16O and 2H/1H in the Great Lakes show a lack of isotopic stratification in summer months despite an established thermocline. These results are indicative of very low over-lake evaporation during warm summer months, with the bulk of evaporation occurring during the fall and winter. This seasonality in evaporation losses is supported by energy balance studies. For Lakes Michigan and Huron, the isotope mass balance approach provides a new perspective into water exchange and evaporation from these lakes. This isotope investigation shows that Lake Michigan and Lake Huron waters are distinct, despite sharing a common lake level. This finding advocates for the separate consideration of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron in future hydrologic studies.

This dissertation addresses the impact of urbanization and land use change on the availability and accessibility of two urban amenities that are often inequitably distributed: green space and water features. Diverse methodologies were utilized in order to gain a better understanding of the role of these amenities in improving urban quality of life and integrated water management. Using an interdisciplinary approach, this research provides a unique perspective within both a developed and developing world context by evaluating aspects of urbanization to emphasize more sustainable and integrated approaches to development. A preliminary analysis highlights potential drivers of green space revitalization in Santa Cruz, Bolivia by identifying perceived benefits of brownfields redevelopment projects between developed and developing countries. These include environmental benefits (creation of green space, reduced health risks), economic benefits (job creation, retention of residents and businesses), and social benefits (community enhancement, improved city services). Building on this analysis, an in-depth anthropological study then examines the preferences, perceptions, and barriers to accessing green spaces in Santa Cruz. Utilizing qualitative and quantifiable research methods, it was determined that although green spaces can help ensure greater equality in urban areas by providing access to public spaces, significant gender discrepancies were noted in Santa Cruz. Disparities in the distribution and accessibility of green space and water features were further assessed in Tampa, Florida. Using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and census data, access to these urban amenities was examined. The inner-city community of East Tampa was found to have greater inequalities, relative to other areas in Tampa, in terms of the quality, diversity, and size of green spaces within their community. The revitalization of urban water infrastructures, such as stormwater ponds, was evaluated as a way to address these environmental justice issues. Lastly, impacts of urbanization, land use change, and population growth on water resources were analyzed using a regional water balance model for the city of Santa Cruz. Development scenarios were examined based on historical and future spatial and temporal changes. Between 1970 and 2010, a decreasing trend was observed for the aridity index (potential evapotranspiration over precipitation) while future climate projections (2011-2050) indicate a trend reversal, with the IPCC's emission scenario A1B having the strongest increasing trend. The increasing trend in the aridity index suggests a long-term shift in the regional hydroclimatology towards less humid conditions. Each chapter of this research builds on the idea of green space as an indicator of urban quality of life (particularly for urban poor who rely more heavily on public spaces for leisure and recreation activities) as well as an important facilitator of urban hydrology due to their predominately permeable surfaces (including water features). Yet rapid change occurring in cities around the world has resulted in the under-valuation of both green space and water resources and thus these amenities have been degraded or destroyed through the urbanization process.

The goal of this research was to investigate further the role of air redistribution and continental water storage changes in the excitation of both the annual and Chandler wobbles for the period 1900-85. The annual and Chandler excitations from air redistribution have been studied by Wilson and Haubrich (1976), Wahr (1982), and Hinnov and Wilson (1985). Annual excitation from water storage was estimated by Van Hylckama (1970), Hinnov and Wilson (1985), and Chao and O'Connor (1988). Chandler wobble excitation from water storage changes has been addressed only by Hinnov and Wilson (1985). This study was undertaken as a refinement to their encouraging but preliminary results. / text

No description available.

<p>The analysis of geologic, hydrologic and hydrogeologic data interpreted to give the characteristics of the Cape Flats aquifer showed the quality of groundwater from the aquifer is suitable for development as a water resource. The conceptual model of the Cape Flats sand shows an unconfined sandy aquifer, grading into semi-confined conditions in some places where thick lenses of clay and peat exists. Recharge rates through the saturated zone of the Cape Flats aquifer have been determined by water table fluctuation (WTF), rainfall-recharge relationship, soil water balance and chloride mass balance methods (CMB). Recharge rates using the WTF vary considerably between wet and dry years and between locations, with a range of 17.3% to 47.5%. Values obtained from empirical rainfall-recharge equation (method 2) agree with those of the WTF. Recharge estimates from the water balance model are comparatively lower but are within the range calculated using empirical method 2 (i.e. 87 &ndash / 194 mm or 4 &ndash / 21% of MAP). These recharge rates also agree with estimates from the series of other methods applied to sites located in the north-western coast of Western Cape and are comparable to recharge rates obtained elsewhere in the world.</p>

In this study, geophysical measurements (Electrical Resistivity Tomography-ERT) and remote sensing techniques were applied in the Thukela river basin at various scales to complement the classical hydrometeorological networks. Detailed process hydrological studies were carried out at the Potshini catchment in the Thukela river basin to provide an in-depth understanding of the influence of different land use management practices, notably the impact of conservation tiJlage practices, on runoff generation and soil moisture retention characteristics at field scale. The general trend that was observed in the field studies is that conservation tillage systems influenced the partitioning of rainfall, by significantly reducing surface runoff over agricultural lands under conservation tillage practices, with a reduction ranging from 46 to 67%. The field soil-water balance studies also indicated that more soil moisture was retained in plots under conservation tillage practices compared to plots under conventional tillage and hence the wider adoption of such a practice could influence the partitioning of rainfall across scales. The field based study was integrated into catchment process studies where a classical hydrometrical network was complemented with geophysical measurements (ERT) along catchment transects to determine the interaction of the surface and sub-surface water and the relative contribution of the subsurface water to catchment response. The study revealed that the shallow ground water contributes significantly, close to 75%, of the stream flows in the Potshini catchment, especially during the dry seasons, with the response of the shallow ground water being a function of both the rainfall intensity and daily total amount. The potential of integrating the catchment process studies with the larger river basin scale was explored through the evaporative term of the water balance by applying the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL), a remote sensing methodology, to estimate total evaporation (ET) from the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite images. This was validated with ground measurements from a Large Aperture Scintilometer (LAS) installed in the Potshini catchment. Good comparison was established between the remotely sensed estimates and LAS measurements with a deviation range of between -14 to 26% on discrete days, where the deviation was defined as the departure of the remotely sensed estimates of ET from the respective LAS measurements. The results from this study compare well with results from similar studies in other countries with different climatic conditions. Subsequently, the evaporative water use of various land uses in the upper Thukela river basin was assessed using MODIS images. Commercial forestry was identified to be the land use with a consistent and relatively high evaporative water use In the study area. High evaporation rates over water bodies were observed during the wet summer season when both the natural and man made water bodies were at full capacity. Nevertheless, it is recognized that the inherent low resolution ofthe MODIS images could have impacted on the SEBAL results. Finally, a conceptual framework, drawing the strengths of classical hydrometeorological networks, geophysical measurements, isotope tracers and remote sensing is suggested with the potential of enhancing our understanding and conceptualization of hydrological determinants across scales. The relevance of the framework to water resources management is highlighted through its application to the Potshini catchment and the Thukela river basin using results and findings from this study. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.