SWAT Model of Climate Change Impacts on Indian Water Resources: Synthesis, Model Performance, and Research Gaps

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a widely recognized model for evaluating hydrological impacts and supporting water resource management under the lens of climate change. With growing concerns around water scarcity and climate variability in India, the SWAT model has emerged as a vital tool to assess future water availability scenarios. This review examines 110 SWAT-based studies conducted between 2013 and 2023 focusing on Indian condition. They were focused on the implications of climate change on India’s water resources. Findings reveal that 90% of these studies reported satisfactory performance metrics; the curve number (CN2) was identified as the most sensitive parameter in 50% of the cases. Despite its utility, the model’s application to extreme weather events such as storms and droughts is underrepresented. Many studies integrated climate projections into SWAT using methods such as delta change and quantile mapping with less significance in scenario studies. This review also identifies gaps related to extreme events and suggests pathways for enhancing the reliability of SWAT model in the context of increasing climate uncertainty in India.