An enhanced Budyko-based water balance model simulating monthly runoff in headwater catchments of the Tarim River Basin

Climate warming is rapidly retreating the cryosphere, increasing water yield variability in high mountain catchments and challenging downstream water management. A deeper understanding of water resources involving quantifying runoff components, is crucial for effective adaptation strategies in high mountain catchments. However, data scarcity limits the application of complex physically-based models in high mountain areas. To address this challenge, an enhanced conceptual hydrological model is proposed, integrating glacier and snowpack ablation processes into a classical Budyko framework-based model, using only precipitation, temperature, and potential evapotranspiration as inputs.