Open source GIS platform for water resource modelling: FREEWAT approach in the Bakumivka river irrigation-drainage network catchment, Ukraine

Free and Open Source Software Tools for Water Resource Management (FREEWAT) is a free and open source GIS-platform for planning and management of water resources, with specific attention to groundwater component. The platform capabilities were tested on the Bakumivka river irrigation-drainage network catchment, Ukraine. The main objective of the case study was to find out the optimal spatial distribution of the water supply to the farms located within the Bakumivka River's basin area by modifying of its landcover pattern. The FREEWAT approach has played an integrative role in the development and implementation of the model Bakumivka River's catchment case study. Modelling-obtained heads and water budgets were analyzed in order to understand and quantify the relations of the kind of landcover applied over the area and provide recommendations on land and water management. Future applications of the case study results are related to the further aggregation of spatio-t emporal data, and development of the more advanced scenarios.