Hydroclimatology

Hydroclimatology is the study of the interactions between the hydrosphere, atmosphere and surface climate. It is an interdisciplinary field that combines the principles of hydrology, ecology and climatology to better understand how large-scale hydroclimatic systems affect water resources, ecosystems, and human activities. The main uses of hydroclimatology include understanding short and long-term climate and hydrologic variability, relating climate to water resources, watershed and ecosystem management, and developing climate-based hazard mitigation strategies. The findings of hydroclimatology are essential for the development of long-term sustainable water management policies, and are of great importance to society in the face of a changing climate.