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MIKE SHE Public Data Catalog

Pakistan

Version: 0.1 test template
Purpose: Country-specific public dataset catalog for building simple to advanced MIKE SHE models
Region: Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Indus Basin, Balochistan, northern mountains)

Quick Start

Minimum Public Datasets for Recharge Modelling with MIKE SHE (Pakistan)

If your objective is to calculate distributed groundwater recharge (without simulating groundwater flow or rivers), only five dataset categories are required.

Public national datasets are limited; river flows and groundwater reports come from WAPDA, IRSA and provincial irrigation departments. Global products form the core stack.

MIKE SHE Input Dataset Type Recommended Dataset Spatial Availability Why recommended
Topography (DEM) Gridded Copernicus GLO-30 Global Accurate 30 m DEM; forest canopy is not a major issue in most of Pakistan.
Land Cover Gridded ESA WorldCover Global 10 m land cover; add canal command areas and cropping seasons separately.
Soil Hydraulic Properties Gridded SoilGrids Global Pedotransfer functions required; saline and sodic soils need attention.
Precipitation Gridded CHIRPS / APHRODITE

GPM IMERG		 Pakistan Complete coverage below mountains; mountain precipitation is highly uncertain.
Time Series Pakistan Meteorological Department Stations By request.
Meteorological Forcing / Potential ET Gridded ERA5-Land Global Hourly variables for FAO-56 reference ET and snow.
Time Series Pakistan Meteorological Department Stations By request.

Optional Improvements

Dataset Purpose
Indus River System Authority Daily river inflows and canal withdrawals
Punjab Irrigation Department Canal flows and groundwater monitoring reports
MODIS Snow Cover Snow cover
Randolph Glacier Inventory Glacier outlines
GRACE / GRACE-FO Indus Basin storage change
  1. Download Copernicus GLO-30 for the model domain.
  2. Delineate the model domain and prepare the terrain model.
  3. Download ESA WorldCover and assign MIKE SHE vegetation classes.
  4. Download SoilGrids and derive van Genuchten parameters using pedotransfer functions.
  5. Choose your meteorological forcing:
  6. Option A (recommended): Use CHIRPS or APHRODITE for rainfall and ERA5-Land for other variables.
  7. Option B: Use PMD station data.
  8. Let MIKE SHE calculate evapotranspiration internally using the selected vegetation and soil parameters.
  9. Add canal seepage and irrigation applications, which dominate recharge in the Indus plains.
  10. Check simulated actual ET against MODIS MOD16 or SSEBop.
  11. Export the distributed groundwater recharge for use in MODFLOW, FEFLOW, or other groundwater models.

1. Introduction for advanced data sources

1.1 Purpose

This document summarizes public datasets that can be used to construct a physically based MIKE SHE model for Pakistan.

The catalog is organized according to the typical MIKE SHE model-building workflow. It covers terrain, land cover, meteorological forcing, ET, rivers, soils, hydrogeology, groundwater, water management, and calibration.

1.2 Intended Use

This catalog is intended for:

  • Indus Basin groundwater and irrigation studies
  • waterlogging and salinity assessments
  • snow and glacier melt contributions
  • flood studies (e.g. 2022)
  • applied MIKE SHE model setup

1.3 General Notes for Pakistan

  • Coordinate system: WGS 84 / UTM 41N–43N.
  • Water allocation between provinces follows the Water Apportionment Accord (1991); provinces manage irrigation and groundwater.
  • Data often come as reports and PDFs rather than portals.

2. Hydrological Characteristics of Pakistan

2.1 Climate

  • arid to semi-arid across most of the country
  • monsoon rainfall July–September, heaviest in the north-east
  • winter precipitation from western disturbances
  • annual rainfall from under 100 mm (parts of Balochistan and Sindh) to over 1,500 mm in the northern foothills
  • high evaporation

2.2 Topography

  • Karakoram, Hindu Kush and Himalaya with large glaciers
  • Indus plains of Punjab and Sindh
  • Balochistan plateau
  • Thar and Cholistan deserts
  • Indus Delta

2.3 Major Hydrological Challenges

  • dependence on the Indus Basin Irrigation System
  • waterlogging and salinity
  • groundwater depletion (e.g. Lahore, Quetta)
  • saline groundwater upconing
  • floods and glacial lake outbursts
  • seawater intrusion in the Indus Delta

2.4 Major Aquifer Systems

Important aquifer settings include:

  • Indus Basin alluvial aquifer (fresh in Punjab, often saline in Sindh)
  • Quetta and other Balochistan valley aquifers
  • Peshawar valley
  • Potohar plateau
  • desert aquifers

3. Recommended Dataset Stack

Component Recommended Dataset Alternative Dataset Importance
DEM Copernicus GLO-30 AW3D30 ★★★★★
Land cover ESA WorldCover Dynamic World ★★★★☆
Precipitation CHIRPS APHRODITE, GPM IMERG ★★★★☆
Climate and snow ERA5-Land Pakistan Meteorological Department ★★★★★
Rivers and flows Indus River System Authority WAPDA ★★★★★
Soil SoilGrids Soil Survey of Pakistan ★★★☆☆
Hydrogeology Geological Survey of Pakistan WAPDA reports ★★★★☆
Groundwater heads Punjab Irrigation Department PCRWR ★★★★☆
Snow and glaciers MODIS Snow Cover Randolph Glacier Inventory ★★★★☆
Actual ET MODIS MOD16 SSEBop ★★★★☆
Storage change GRACE / GRACE-FO — ★★★★☆

4. Terrain Model

4.1 Purpose in MIKE SHE

Terrain data are required for model surface elevation, overland-flow gradients, surface storage, catchment delineation, river network verification, and floodplain connectivity.

4.2 Dataset Comparison

Dataset Coverage Resolution MIKE SHE Suitability Advantages Limitations Recommendation
Copernicus GLO-30 Global 30 m Primary Accurate Mountain voids ★★★★★
AW3D30 Global 30 m Comparison Independent — ★★★☆☆

4.3 Typical Preprocessing

  • reproject to UTM 41N–43N
  • clip to model domain plus buffer
  • condition drainage and check against the river network
  • resample to model grid
  • smooth only where needed for numerical stability

4.4 Quality Checks

  • check canal embankments in flat plains
  • check mountain voids

5. Surface Water

5.1 Rivers

Dataset Coverage MIKE SHE / MIKE 1D Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
Indus River System Authority Indus system Daily flows Public Main rivers ★★★★★
WAPDA Pakistan Gauging stations Official By request ★★★★☆
MERIT Hydro Global Flow directions Consistent Canals missing ★★★★☆

5.2 Lakes, Reservoirs and Wetlands

Dataset Use Recommendation
WAPDA Tarbela and Mangla reservoirs ★★★★★
JRC Global Surface Water Water occurrence ★★★☆☆

5.3 Canal Network

  • the Indus Basin Irrigation System has around 45 major canal commands
  • canal seepage and field application are the main recharge sources in the plains
  • canal flows are published by provincial irrigation departments

5.4 Typical Preprocessing

  • simplify river network
  • align river network with DEM
  • define channel geometry from surveys or estimated widths
  • represent floodplains and wetlands as overland-flow storage
  • assign river, reservoir and tidal boundary conditions

6. Land Cover and Vegetation

6.1 Purpose in MIKE SHE

Land cover and vegetation define interception, ET parameters, root depth, crop coefficients, Manning roughness, irrigation zones, and impervious areas.

6.2 Dataset Comparison

Dataset Coverage Resolution MIKE SHE Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
ESA WorldCover Global 10 m Primary Detailed 2020–2021 ★★★★☆
Dynamic World Global 10 m Seasonal crops Near-real-time — ★★★☆☆

6.3 Vegetation Datasets

Parameter Dataset Use Recommendation
LAI MODIS MCD15A3H Seasonal LAI ★★★★☆
NDVI Sentinel-2 / Landsat Crop calendars and phenology ★★★★☆
Crop coefficient FAO-56 Wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane ★★★★☆

6.4 Typical Preprocessing

  • separate rabi (wheat) and kharif (rice, cotton) seasons
  • map canal commands and tubewell areas

7. Meteorological Forcing

7.1 Precipitation

Dataset Coverage Resolution Temporal Resolution MIKE SHE Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
CHIRPS 50°S–50°N ~5 km Daily Plains Gauge-blended Mountains ★★★★☆
APHRODITE Monsoon Asia 0.25° Daily History Gauge-based Ends 2015 ★★★☆☆
ERA5-Land Global ~9 km Hourly Mountains Complete Bias ★★★☆☆
Pakistan Meteorological Department Pakistan Point Daily Bias correction Official By request ★★★★☆

7.2 Climate Variables

Variable Recommended Dataset Alternatives MIKE SHE Use
Air temperature ERA5-Land Pakistan Meteorological Department ET, snow and glacier melt
Wind speed ERA5-Land Pakistan Meteorological Department Penman-Monteith
Humidity ERA5-Land Pakistan Meteorological Department Vapour-pressure deficit
Solar radiation ERA5-Land Pakistan Meteorological Department, NASA POWER ET energy term
Reference ET FAO-56 from ERA5-Land TerraClimate PET forcing

7.3 Notes

  • include snow and glacier melt for upper Indus basins
  • expect large precipitation uncertainty at high altitude

8. Soil Data

8.1 Dataset Comparison

Dataset Coverage Resolution MIKE SHE Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
SoilGrids Global 250 m Primary Gridded Few local profiles ★★★☆☆
Soil Survey of Pakistan Pakistan Reconnaissance Refinement Local By request ★★★☆☆

8.2 Typical Preprocessing

  • account for saline and sodic soils

9. Hydrogeology

9.1 Dataset Comparison

Dataset Coverage Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
Geological Survey of Pakistan Pakistan Geological maps Official Interpretation needed ★★★★☆
WAPDA / PCRWR reports Indus Basin Aquifer data Local Reports ★★★★☆

9.2 Conceptual Model Recommendations

  • thick unconfined alluvial aquifer
  • fresh groundwater over saline groundwater
  • canal seepage as line recharge
  • karez and valley aquifers in Balochistan

10. Groundwater Data

Dataset Coverage Use Recommendation
Punjab Irrigation Department Punjab Pre- and post-monsoon depth to water ★★★★★
PCRWR Pakistan Water quality and monitoring ★★★★☆
Sindh Irrigation Department Sindh Monitoring ★★★☆☆

11. Water Management

11.1 Relevant Processes

  • canal irrigation and distribution
  • private tubewells
  • Tarbela and Mangla reservoirs
  • drainage schemes

11.2 Regulatory Framework

  • Water Apportionment Accord (1991)
  • National Water Policy (2018)
  • Punjab Water Act (2019) for groundwater
  • Indus Waters Treaty (1960); since 2025 its status has been contested between India and Pakistan

11.3 Key Institutions

Topic Institution
Inter-provincial allocation Indus River System Authority
Hydropower and gauging WAPDA
Meteorology Pakistan Meteorological Department
Irrigation and groundwater Punjab Irrigation Department
Water research PCRWR
Geology Geological Survey of Pakistan

12. Remote Sensing Products

Dataset Resolution Use Recommendation
Sentinel-1 SAR 10 m Flood mapping, InSAR subsidence, wetness under cloud ★★★★★
Sentinel-2 10 m Land cover, irrigation and crop calendars ★★★★☆
GLEAM ~25 km Actual ET ★★★☆☆
MODIS MOD16 500 m Actual ET ★★★☆☆
SMAP / ESA CCI Soil Moisture ~9–25 km Soil moisture ★★★☆☆
GRACE / GRACE-FO ~300 km Large-basin storage change ★★★★☆

13. Calibration Datasets

Target Dataset Use Recommendation
Heads Punjab Irrigation Department SZ calibration ★★★★★
Flows Indus River System Authority Canal and river ★★★★☆
Storage change GRACE / GRACE-FO Regional trends ★★★★☆
Actual ET MODIS MOD16 ET plausibility ★★★★☆
Snow cover MODIS Snow Cover Snow ★★★★☆

Recommended strategy: include canal seepage and tubewell pumping and calibrate against seasonal heads.

14. Typical MIKE SHE Workflow

  1. Define modelling objective and domain.
  2. Prepare the DEM from Copernicus GLO-30.
  3. Build the river network from MERIT Hydro and canal maps.
  4. Prepare land cover from WorldCover.
  5. Assign vegetation parameters, rooting depths and crop calendars.
  6. Prepare precipitation from CHIRPS or APHRODITE.
  7. Prepare climate forcing and reference ET from ERA5-Land.
  8. Prepare soil properties from SoilGrids.
  9. Build hydrogeological layers from GSP and WAPDA reports.
  10. Add pumping and irrigation from tubewell estimates.
  11. Couple rivers and groundwater.
  12. Calibrate against irrigation department heads and IRSA flows.
  13. Validate with GRACE and ET products.
  14. Document assumptions and uncertainties.

15. Minimum Dataset Package

Model Element Dataset
DEM Copernicus GLO-30
Land cover ESA WorldCover
Precipitation CHIRPS
Climate ERA5-Land
Soils SoilGrids
Canals Provincial irrigation maps

16. Recommended Dataset Package

Model Element Dataset
Flows Indus River System Authority
Heads Punjab Irrigation Department
Snow MODIS Snow Cover
Validation GRACE + MOD16

17. Premium Dataset Package

Dataset Type Possible Source Purpose
Canal flow records Irrigation departments Seepage
Tubewell census Provinces Pumping
Salinity surveys PCRWR, WAPDA Quality

18. Dataset Comparison Table Template

Dataset Coverage Spatial Resolution Temporal Resolution Time Period Format API / Access License MIKE SHE Use Advantages Limitations Recommendation
★☆☆☆☆

19. Data Preparation Checklist

Terrain

  • [ ] DEM downloaded (or requested) and licence checked
  • [ ] DEM projected and clipped
  • [ ] drainage checked against river network

Surface Water

  • [ ] river network prepared
  • [ ] reservoirs, wetlands and floodplains identified
  • [ ] boundary conditions assigned

Land Cover and Vegetation

  • [ ] land cover reclassified
  • [ ] irrigated areas and crop calendars defined
  • [ ] LAI and rooting depths assigned

Weather

  • [ ] precipitation prepared and compared with station data
  • [ ] climate forcing prepared
  • [ ] reference ET calculated

Soil

  • [ ] soil data downloaded or requested
  • [ ] hydraulic parameters derived

Groundwater

  • [ ] geology and hydrogeology collected
  • [ ] heads and pumping data requested
  • [ ] boundary conditions defined

Calibration and Validation

  • [ ] discharge data obtained
  • [ ] ET and remote-sensing validation data prepared
  • [ ] calibration and validation periods defined

Pakistan-specific

  • [ ] canal seepage included
  • [ ] saline zones mapped
  • [ ] snow represented where relevant

20. References and Official Data Portals

National and regional sources

Global sources

21. Notes on Uncertainty

  • canal seepage and field losses
  • tubewell pumping
  • mountain precipitation
  • saline groundwater
  • data access

A defensible model should document dataset choices, preprocessing assumptions, calibration strategy, validation results, and known limitations.

22. Provincial Data Sources

Province / Region Key Holders Hydrological Focus
Punjab Punjab Irrigation Department Canal irrigation, depletion around Lahore
Sindh Sindh Irrigation Department Saline groundwater, waterlogging, delta
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa KP Irrigation Department Peshawar valley, floods
Balochistan Balochistan Irrigation Department Valley aquifer depletion, karez
Gilgit-Baltistan Local authorities, WAPDA Glaciers and snowmelt