Advancing Integrated Hydro-Terrestrial Modeling through Collaboration: IHTM 2.0 Workshop, Interagency Workstream, and Community Portal

Mobilized by U.S. federal leadership and closer interagency coordination across water-related sectors, Integrated Hydro-Terrestrial Modeling (IHTM) is evolving from a conceptual framework toward actionable use cases at national and regional scales. Beginning with a workshop report authored by a Community Coordinating Group on IHTM in 2020, “community” continues to be an integral element of the IHTM framework. Subsequent Coastal IHTM (2020) and IHTM 2.0 (2023) workshops have continued to identify emerging capabilities and research gaps. This presentation covers three major outcomes of the IHTM 2.0 Workshop, hosted by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), to benefit the IHTM community: 1) federal agency perspective summary of workshop outcomes, 2) federal interagency coordination, and 3) developing a public community of practice (CoP) portal. One key takeaway from the 2023 IHTM 2.0 workshop was the need for continued U.S. federal interagency coordination. In response, USGCRP established the IHTM Interagency Workstream, with representation from 12 agencies in spring 2024. Another main takeaway from the 2023 workshop was the need for a community of practice (CoP) with a culture of sharing concepts, resources, and applications. The IHTM CoP Portal responds to this need as a central hub for sharing resources and events relevant to addressing compound water challenges across the government, non-profit, academic, and private organizations. This presentation concludes by discussing opportunities for continued engagement with IHTM efforts in convergence with other connected communities, including H2US.