Databases and Applications of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Model in Brazilian River Basins: a Review

Hydrological models are used to assess natural and man-made changes in watersheds worldwide. Proper input data collection and handling are essential to reduce simulation uncertainty. Thus, this study reviews the sources of physical and hydroclimatic data, used in the last 5 years, from 55 articles that applied the SWAT model in Brazil. Most studies took place in the Atlantic Forest biome (20), followed by Cerrado (14), Amazon (11), and Caatinga (10). Worth noting that there are no studies published in the Pantanal and Pampa biomes. National databases (INPE, INMET, EMPRAPA, and ANA) are the most used in data acquisition process, followed by regional databases, more applied in smaller basins. Global databases are more sought after in studies of large basins due to their low spatial resolution. National climate data have low spatial density and are only available in five states at the regional level, so satellite data and reanalysis are viable alternatives in regions with little climate monitoring. Future research directions include (1) evaluating and comparing available data, (2) using high-resolution imagery to map land use in small catchments, (3) expanding the model’s database of vegetation parameters to cover all classes identified in high-resolution images, (4) create a database at regional level in the states, (5) develop software to manage hydroclimatic information, and (6) continuously monitor the quality of water bodies.