Development of a GIS-based spatially distributed continuous hydrological model and its first application

This study describes the development of a spatially distributed continuous hydrological model and its application on an Aegean Sea island. This model was developed on the basis of a Geographical Information System (GIS) in direct interaction with the special database containing the input data in a spatially distributed form. The model is physically based; it can evaluate the daily values of the water balance components in very fine spatial resolution and gives relatively accurate results with small calibration effort. The main scope of the model is to utilize a valuable tool in areas with great scarcity of hydrometric data, increased water needs and serious shortages of fresh water. The model was applied on Naxos, a medium size Aegean island, with satisfactory results.