Comprehensive Analysis of Hydrological Losses in SA: Integrating Parametric and Non-parametric Approaches

About This Project 

Flooding is a significant concern in South Australia, with annual damages exceeding $32 million, as highlighted in the SA Government’s Independent Review of the Extreme Weather Event in September-October 2016. Accurate estimation of flood risk is critical for infrastructure planning and disaster risk reduction. In the absence of a long series of stream flow records for a particular catchment, a rainfall-based approach is typically adopted. Rainfall-runoff models are utilised for flood forecasting and assessing the risk of floods, as well as for managing water availability. Hydrological losses play a crucial role in these models, serving as a key input. Therefore, accurate estimation of hydrological losses is essential for effectively assessing flood risk, designing efficient water management infrastructure, and ensuring water availability. However, the supervisory team has identified shortcomings in flood estimates based on design rainfall and continuous simulation methodology, as they fail to adequately replicate flood peaks or assess flood risk in South Australian catchments within the Australian Rainfall and Runoff (ARR), 2019 guidelines. The proposed research aims to address these shortcomings through a comprehensive approach, integrating both parametric methods like rainfall-runoff modelling and non-parametric approaches to quantify and comprehend hydrological losses in the region. This holistic approach seeks to enhance the accuracy of rainfall-based flood estimation techniques, particularly in areas where long series of gauge flow data are unavailable. Aligned with national priorities, our project has secured funding from the Disaster Ready Fund (DRF), established by the Australian government to bolster the nations resilience and minimise the impact of natural disasters.

What you’ll do 

The candidate will work on enhancing rainfall-based flood estimation accuracy through quantifying more reliable hydrological losses by taking South Australia as a case-study region. Through a comprehensive understanding of the spatial and temporal variability of hydrological losses across various catchments within South Australia, you will develop a methodology to determine appropriate loss values for integration with design rainfalls. Through a comparative analysis of the performance of parametric and non-parametric approaches in quantifying realistic losses within targeted catchments, you will contribute to improving the accuracy of design flood estimations within the ARR-2019 guidelines. Engagement with key stakeholders, you will ensure the relevance and applicability of the projects outcomes. Communication of project findings to stakeholders will occur through steering committee meetings and presentations at national conferences. The publications in scientific international journals will enable us to disseminate new knowledge to the international research community in the field of flood hydrology. 

Where you’ll be based 

HDR students will be integrated into the UniSA STEM’s HDR cohort, situated at the Mawson Lakes campus, University of South Australia. Financial Support 

This project is funded for reasonable research expenses. Additionally, a living allowance scholarship of $32,500 per annum is available to eligible applicants funded by the Australian government through the Disaster Ready Fund. Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants will be eligible to receive an increased stipend rate of $45,076 per annum. A fee-offset or waiver for the standard term of the program is also included. For full terms and benefits of the scholarship please refer to our scholarship information for domestic students or international students.

Eligibility and Selection 

This project is open to applications from both Domestic and International applicants. Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for entrance into a PhD. 

Additionally, applicants must meet the projects selection criteria: 

• Prior qualifications in Civil and /or Environmental Engineering or related disciplines of relevance to the PhD topic.
• Prior involvement in hydrology research or postgraduate studies in relevant fields.
• Ability to work proficiently with spatial data, including Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for hydrological modelling and analysis. 
• Expertise in hydrological modelling techniques, particularly in the context of rainfall-runoff modelling 
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python or R to implement and optimise modelling and analysis algorithms, facilitating advanced data processing and interpretation. 
• Experience in statistical analysis and data interpretation to extract meaningful insights from large datasets, contributing to robust hydrological analysis. 
• Effective communication skills, evidenced by publications and presentations. 

Applicants are also required to submit a full research proposal (approximately 2500 words) and are encouraged to discuss their research ideas with the principal supervisor A/Prof Guna Hewa. A template to help guide this proposal is available here.

All applications that meet the eligibility and selection criteria will be considered for this project. A merit selection process will be used to determine the successful candidate.

The successful applicant is expected to study full-time, and to be based at our Mawson Lakes Campus in the north of Adelaide. Note that international students on a student visa will need to study full-time.

Essential Dates 

Applicants are expected to start in a timely fashion upon receipt of an offer. Extended deferral periods are not available. Applications close on Tuesday, 13th of May.