From 2 – 4 December, the PHISHES consortium met in Denmark for an intensive modelling workshop aimed at strengthening the scientific and technical foundations of the project. Over three days, experts exchanged insights, aligned methodologies, and advanced the development of the project’s hydrological and contaminant transport models. The workshop provided an opportunity for partners to identify needs, clarify expectations, and coordinate next steps.
The workshop marked a transition into a new phase of the project, one focused on solidifying hydrological model setups and defining the scope and structure of forthcoming contaminant modelling activities. Participants examined site-specific data needs, measurement integration, and strategies for building consistent baseline and scenario models across locations. A shared principle guided the discussion: the general methodology for modelling water or soil quality is to first establish a base hydrological model and add contaminant fate and transport on top.
One of the workshop’s central technical themes was the ongoing development of model train coupling, with particular attention to the integration of MIKE SHE and Daisy. The project is moving forward into a phase where we are solidifying the hydrological models and scoping the contaminant modelling. Many technical considerations focused on evaluating coupling strategies, addressing known challenges, and refining approaches to ensure consistent and reliable linkages across the modelling chain.
The last day of the workshop concentrated on bridging the gap between quantitative model outputs and the Soil Health Parameters central to PHISHES. While additional work is required to fully map model results to these indicators, participants emphasized the importance of ensuring that hydrological and contaminant models ultimately support the project’s soil health assessment framework.
Establishing this connection will be a key focus of the work ahead!