Land Use-Land Cover and Hydrological Modeling: A Review

Given the extent of recent land use-land cover changes and the consequences for hydrological effects, it is important to capture the role that land use-land cover plays in hydrological model conceptualization. This need is amplified under a changing climate, as the hydrological sensitivity of catchments to climate change can vary depending on the land use-land cover. Traditionally, model calibration has prioritized parameter adjustment rather than enhancing the representation of land use-land cover processes. This practice—though useful in improving model fit—can lead to misinterpretations, especially when simulating under varying land use-land cover and climate conditions. While airborne and satellite remote sensing technologies now allow for frequent, large-scale monitoring of land surface parameters, their spatiotemporal complexities remain underutilized in hydrological models. By analyzing the conceptualizations of land use-land cover related hydrological processes within models, this paper reviews the progress in the current state of modeling approaches and discusses future research needs and directions. The path ahead for land use-land cover and hydrological modeling is one of embracing technological advancements and methodological rigor, focusing on representing the multifaceted reality.