HYDROINFORMATICS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN MOROCCO UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE

Abstract
This HDR defense provides an extensive overview of my diverse research journey post-PhD. The research is divided into two main areas: (1) Climate and water dynamics in Morocco, and

(2) Uncertainty Quantification in Numerical Models. While these might seem distinct, they are intrinsically linked due to the challenges posed by data scarcity, model parameterization, and model reliability in climate modeling.

The first part explores Morocco’s complex climate. Due to its geographical location varied climate patterns are observed, posing challenges for climate models. A comprehensive dataset was compiled, covering various regions, but facing issues of temporal resolution and uneven gauge distribution. Climate change in Morocco threatens water availability, emphasizing the need for Uncertainty Quantification in climate simulations, especially for extreme weather scenarios.

The second part focuses on surrogate modeling (metamodeling), particularly Polynomial Chaos Expansion, for Uncertainty Quantification. These surrogate models save computational time in hydraulics and wave modeling. Stochastic learning and Proper Orthogonal Decomposition help handle high-dimensional model outputs and improve quality.

In summary, this research journey has contributed significantly to climate and numerical modeling, emphasizing the importance of addressing uncertainty in these fields.

HDR Committee of Pr. Nabil El Moçayd
Reviewers:

Pr. Michael HERTY (Aachen, Germany), Pr. Ashraf OSMAN (Durham, UK),

Pr. Dionysios CHRISTOPOULOS (Chania, Crete, Greece).

Members:

Pr. Azita AHMADI-SENICHAULT (Bordeaux, France), Pr. M. Shadi MOHAMED (Edinburgh, UK),

Pr. Mohammed SEAID (Durham, UK), Pr. Driss OUAZAR (Rabat, Morocco), Pr. Denis DARTUS (Toulouse, France),

Pr. Olivier THUAL (Toulouse, France, invited member)

Pr. Rachid ABABOU (Toulouse, France, HDR correspondant).