Water-Resource - Version INCA -Integrated Catchement Software

The INCA model has been used successfully to assess a wide range of environmental change issues in catchments including:

• Land use change,
• Climate change
• Changing pollution environments including point and diffuse pollution.

The model has been applied to a wide range of key European ecosystems.

The INCA model has been developed under EU funded projects (EU- INCA and Eurolimpacs) and other projects funded by the Environment Agency, National Power, DEFRA, Natural England, English Heritage, EPSRC, ESRC and NERC, such as the NERC LOCAR project.

Footnote

Prof Paul Whitehead has undertaken an extensive INCA Flow and Water Quality Modelling study in the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna River systems to investigate the impacts of climate change on river discharge, nitrate, ammonia and phosphorus into the future. This is the most complex INCA modelling study that has been attempted and results suggest increased monsoon flows and some reduced dry weather flows, or with extended drought periods. Plus nutrient concentrations would fall due to the extra dilution effects in monsoon periods. The effects of socio-economic change has also been investigated to evaluate the Ganges clean-up plan and to study the impacts of proposed water transfers upstream of Bangladesh. The clean-up plan if implemented would improve the water quality reducing nutrient loads entering Bangladesh. The water transfers would have a major effect, if implemented in full, significantly reducing flows into the delta system and the Bay of Bengal.