Assessing future streamflow in Cyprus through hydrological model calibration under non-stationary climate and regional climate model ensemble selection.

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Title: Assessing future streamflow in Cyprus through hydrological model calibration under non-stationary climate and regional climate model ensemble selection.
Authors: Sofokleous, Ioannis1 (AUTHOR) i.sofokleous@cyi.ac.cy, Zittis, George2 (AUTHOR), Dörflinger, Gerald3 (AUTHOR), Bruggeman, Adriana1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Hydrology & Earth System Sciences. Jun2026, Vol. 30 Issue 12, p3903-3924. 22p.
Subject Terms: *Hydrologic models, *Streamflow, *Water supply, *Climate change, *Precipitation variability
Geographic Terms: Cyprus
Abstract: The use of conceptual hydrological models for projections of future freshwater resources is challenged by non-stationary climate conditions, as these conditions may affect whether models calibrated under historical climates are suitable for future scenarios. This study aims to (i) develop a framework for the parameterization of a conceptual hydrological model under non-stationary climate conditions and (ii) bias-correct, downscale and evaluate the performance of an 18-member ensemble of Regional Climate Models (RCMs) for simulating future streamflow. The framework was applied to generate streamflow projections for 38 mountain watersheds in the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus over the next decades (2030–2060) with the GR4J model. Six Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE)- and Kling-Gupta Efficiency (KGE)-based functions and a composite scaled score were used for model calibration and validation across multiple 5-year calibration and 5-year validation periods (1980–2015). Climate non-stationarity was represented by differences in total precipitation between calibration and validation periods (ΔP= Pval – Pcal) using the differential split-sample test approach. The best-performing parameterization during drier periods (ΔP≤-5 %) was obtained with an NSE objective function applied to square-root transformed streamflow, achieving NSE of 0.48, KGE of 0.54 and total streamflow bias of 9 % during validation. This optimized model was selected for future streamflow simulations. Nine RCMs were excluded from the impact assessment because they underestimated the fraction of wet period precipitation (60 %–73 % instead of 82 %), resulting in streamflow biases up to 40 % in the 1980–2010 reference period. The median of future projections for 2030–2060 shows a 6 % reduction in precipitation and a 17 % reduction in streamflow. In the worst case, reductions could reach 16 % and 39 %, respectively. Notably, during the driest years, streamflow reductions could reach 70 % relative to historical dry years. Our findings suggest that terrestrial water resources in Cyprus may decrease significantly in the coming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Database: Energy & Power Source
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Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Assessing future streamflow in Cyprus through hydrological model calibration under non-stationary climate and regional climate model ensemble selection.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sofokleous%2C+Ioannis%22">Sofokleous, Ioannis</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> i.sofokleous@cyi.ac.cy</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zittis%2C+George%22">Zittis, George</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dörflinger%2C+Gerald%22">Dörflinger, Gerald</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bruggeman%2C+Adriana%22">Bruggeman, Adriana</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Hydrology+%26+Earth+System+Sciences%22">Hydrology & Earth System Sciences</searchLink>. Jun2026, Vol. 30 Issue 12, p3903-3924. 22p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subject Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hydrologic+models%22">Hydrologic models</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Streamflow%22">Streamflow</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Water+supply%22">Water supply</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Climate+change%22">Climate change</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Precipitation+variability%22">Precipitation variability</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectGeographic
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cyprus%22">Cyprus</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The use of conceptual hydrological models for projections of future freshwater resources is challenged by non-stationary climate conditions, as these conditions may affect whether models calibrated under historical climates are suitable for future scenarios. This study aims to (i) develop a framework for the parameterization of a conceptual hydrological model under non-stationary climate conditions and (ii) bias-correct, downscale and evaluate the performance of an 18-member ensemble of Regional Climate Models (RCMs) for simulating future streamflow. The framework was applied to generate streamflow projections for 38 mountain watersheds in the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus over the next decades (2030–2060) with the GR4J model. Six Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE)- and Kling-Gupta Efficiency (KGE)-based functions and a composite scaled score were used for model calibration and validation across multiple 5-year calibration and 5-year validation periods (1980–2015). Climate non-stationarity was represented by differences in total precipitation between calibration and validation periods (ΔP= Pval – Pcal) using the differential split-sample test approach. The best-performing parameterization during drier periods (ΔP≤-5 %) was obtained with an NSE objective function applied to square-root transformed streamflow, achieving NSE of 0.48, KGE of 0.54 and total streamflow bias of 9 % during validation. This optimized model was selected for future streamflow simulations. Nine RCMs were excluded from the impact assessment because they underestimated the fraction of wet period precipitation (60 %–73 % instead of 82 %), resulting in streamflow biases up to 40 % in the 1980–2010 reference period. The median of future projections for 2030–2060 shows a 6 % reduction in precipitation and a 17 % reduction in streamflow. In the worst case, reductions could reach 16 % and 39 %, respectively. Notably, during the driest years, streamflow reductions could reach 70 % relative to historical dry years. Our findings suggest that terrestrial water resources in Cyprus may decrease significantly in the coming decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.5194/hess-30-3903-2026
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 22
        StartPage: 3903
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Hydrologic models
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Streamflow
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Water supply
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Climate change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Precipitation variability
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cyprus
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Assessing future streamflow in Cyprus through hydrological model calibration under non-stationary climate and regional climate model ensemble selection.
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            NameFull: Sofokleous, Ioannis
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            NameFull: Zittis, George
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            NameFull: Dörflinger, Gerald
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            NameFull: Bruggeman, Adriana
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            – D: 15
              M: 06
              Text: Jun2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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