Hydrologic and human systems are deeply interconnected, but their modelling has traditionally been siloed. As the need for more holistic approaches grows, convergent and transdisciplinary integration is emerging as a key frontier in hydrologic research. This presentation provides an overview of this evolving endeavor through the lens of Razavi et al. (2025; Convergent and transdisciplinary integration: On the future of integrated modeling of human‐water systems. Water Resources Research, 61, e2024WR038088. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR038088), highlighting key frontiers that distinguish surface and groundwater hydrology, engineering, social sciences, economics, Indigenous and place-based knowledge, and other interconnected natural systems such as the atmosphere, cryosphere, and ecosphere. We argue that a fundamental gap persists: hydrologic models often disregard management interventions, while water resources management models rarely account for hydrologic feedbacks. This disconnect can lead to inaccurate predictions and suboptimal decision making, particularly in flood forecasting and reservoir operations. For instance, the state of the art in flood research and inundation mapping is often limited to a “weak coupling” of models of hydrology, reservoir systems, and river hydrodynamics, typically involving the addition of simplistic representations of reservoirs and water withdrawals to hydrologic and hydrodynamic simulations, which may not adequately capture management complexities. To illustrate these challenges and opportunities, we leverage new features of the Raven watershed modelling framework, applied to the Assiniboine River Basin, to assess how integrated modelling can improve predictive capabilities and better support decision making.
