Shaini Naha

Hydrological-Hydrochemical Modeller
Environmental and Biochemical Sciences
E: shaini.naha@hutton.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)344 928 5428 (*)

Shaini is a hydrological and hydrochemical modeller within the Environmental and Biochemical Sciences Department at the James Hutton Institute (JHI). Her educational background is in Hydrology, Remote Sensing and GIS. Prior to joining JHI, she pursued her PhD from University of Bristol at the Water and Environmental Research Group. Her research interest lies in modelling and understanding the impacts of hydrological extremes on hydrological processes and water quality. 

Research

She is currently involved in testing and comparing different process-based hydrological/ water quality models, applying different tools and datasets, for drought modelling in Scotland.

Ongoing research projects:

Emerging Water Futures, Scottish Government Strategic Research Programme 2022-27: Shaini is involved in WP1: Understanding the vulnerabilities of Scotland’s water resources to drought where she is leading activities related to reviewing existing drought related data and modelling approaches and building and testing a hydrological drought risk modelling approach for Scotland.

Shaini leads the project “Using a detailed abstraction database to plan assessing current and future water resources availability in Scotland”. This research, funded by the Hydro Nation Chair R & I Programme, is a pilot project, in collaboration with the University of Aberdeen, SEPA and Scottish Water. The project explores collating datasets on actual daily water abstractions available for most water sectors in Scotland, with the view of using this for modelling activities, allowing a more accurate assessment of the current state of Scotland’s water resources and their vulnerability to climate extremes.

Shaini co-leads in the project “Using an integrated modelling framework for holistic modelling and stewardship of Scottish water systems”, led by British Geological Survey and funded by the Hydro Nation Chair R & I Programme. This project looks into the possibilities of developing integrated modelling framework of Scottish water systems with the view of analysing the water systems more holistically, allowing explorations of the potential cross-system impacts and/or benefits.

Past research

Her PhD research involved prediction of the hydrological responses of a large scale river basin to changing land cover and climate conditions while also understanding the uncertainties associated with these modelled hydrological impacts. She focussed on the uncertainties arising from model parameterisation, calibration procedures, and also due to data availability at local to regional scale as opposed to global products.

Publications

Journals

Technical / contract reports

  • Glendell, M.; Blackstock, K.; Adams, K.; Brickell, J.; Comte, J.; Gagkas, Z.; Geris, J.; Haro, D.; Jabloun, M.; Karley, A.; MacLeod, K.; Naha, S.; Paterson, E.; Rivington, M.; Thompson, C.; Upton, K.; Wilkinson, M.; Williams, K. (2024) Future predictions of water scarcity in Scotland impact on distilleries and agricultural abstractors CRW2023_05, Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW)
  • Naha, S.; Macleod, K.; Glendell, M.; Gagkas, Z. (2023) Understanding the vulnerabilities of Scotland’s water resources to drought: summary of stakeholder engagement, review of related studies, and an outline of our research, Emerging Water Futures, Version 210223

Conference papers

Conference posters / abstracts

  • Naha, S.; Gagkas, Z.; Schurch, N.; Johan Strömqvist, J.; Bartosova, A.; Macleod, K.; Glendell, M. (2024) Developing a national scale drought modelling and short to mediumterm forecasting framework for Scotland, EGU General Assembly 2024
  • Naha, S.; Glendell, M.; Haro Monteagudo, D. (2024) Using a detailed abstraction database to plan assessing current and future water resources availability in Scotland, EGU General Assembly, 14-19 April 2024, Vienna, Austria & Online
  • Naha, S.; Glendell, M.; Haro Monteagudo, D. (2023) Using a detailed abstraction database to plan assessing current and future water resources availability in Scotland, Hutton Annual Research Symposium, 21 November 2023, Apex Hotel, Dundee
  • Naha, S.; Macleod, K.; Gagkas, Z.; Glendell, M. (2023) Evaluating the performance of processbased models for drought simulation in Scotland, European Geosciences Union, 23-28 April, 2023, Vienna.
  • Naha, S.; Macleod, K.; Gagkas, Z.; Glendell, M. (2022) Understanding the vulnerabilities of Scotland’s water resources to drought, British Hydrological Society 14th National Symposium, 12-14 September 2022, Lancaster University