Effectiveness of Natural Soil Water Retention Measures at Field Scale under Current and Future Climate – Case Studies in Three European Biogeographical Regions

Within the EU Horizon project OPTAIN (OPtimal strategies to reTAIN and re-use water and nutrients in small agricultural catchments across different soil-climatic regions in Europe, optain.eu) project, the effects of Natural/Small Water Retention Measures (NSWRMs) on water regime, soil erosion and nutrient transport are evaluated at both, catchment- and field-scales for present and future climate conditions. Our goal is to perform an integrated, model-based assessment of the effectiveness of NSWRMs at field scale and cross-validated these results from those obtained from the catchment-scale modelling. The field-scale assessment is based on the adaptation of the SWAP mathematical model to seven pilot sites across three European biogeographical regions and on combined NSWRM – projected climate scenario analyses. The scenarios are designed to evaluate the efficiency and potential of different natural/small water retention measures in improving soil water retention and reducing flash floods and the loss of soil and nutrients under changing climate conditions. We present the harmonized SWAP modelling workflow and the combined scenario analyses, including the implementation of various in-field measures in the SWAP model. Examples of model calibration, validation and scenario results for selected pilot sites will be given.