Towards best practice implementation and application of models for analysis of water resources management scenarios

Water resources management models are widely used to evaluate planning or operational scenarios to support water resource management decision-making. However, the approaches to modelling used in the past have led to problems, such as modellers having difficulty establishing the credibility of their model with stakeholders, and stakeholders having difficulty understanding and trusting model results. A best practice approach to the implementation and application of water resources management models based on a quality assurance procedure is an appropriate means of overcoming these difficulties, and there are a number of guidelines and papers available promoting this approach. However, guidance in these on the use of models to analyse water resource planning scenarios is limited or not provided. This paper therefore provides guidance on the implementation and application of water resources management models with an emphasis on scenario analysis. This guidance is principally intended for practising modellers, and also for peer reviewers and stakeholders such as managers, decision makers, and community-based groups. Adoption strategies and recommendations for future directions are also discussed.