State-of-the-art in hydrologic and water quality modeling in the Caribbean, Central and South America
With sponsorship from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), a comprehensive questionnaire was mailed to all ASCE Latin American members on the use of mathematical models and computer methods in the planning and management of both the quantity and quality of water resources in their respective countries. The results of the ASCE survey are reviewed, and compared to the state-of-the-art as report by the United Nations (UN) Economic Commission in 1984. The UN survey was essentially limited to water quality in the disciplines of: hydraulic structures, rainfall/runoff analysis, droughts and flooding, statistics and probability, linear programming, reservoir operation, groundwater and watershed management. It also included sediment transport as a topic. The ASCE survey was expanded to include water quality modeling in both the surface and subsurface environments. For example, the UN survey reported 17% of the respondents used mainframe computers, 43% mini and 38% microcomputers; the more current ASCE survey indicates 96% use of micro-computers, 25% mini, 35% mainframe and 5% supercomputers. The use, potential use and future needs for hydrologic and water quality mathematical models and risk assessment are reviewed, drawing from the author's personal experiences throughout Latin America, Europe, and Australia.
