Hydrological Analysis in QGIS
2026-07-03 , Info lab 1

In this workshop, we will explore the diverse range of tools available in QGIS for conducting comprehensive hydrological analysis. Participants will gain hands-on experience with tools from GRASS, SAGA, WhiteboxTools, and PCRaster processing provider plugins, as well as other specialized plugins designed for hydrological studies.

Our interactive session will cover practical exercises on deriving streams and catchments, and calculating essential morphometric parameters such as drainage density, concentration time, and hypsometric curves. By the end of the workshop, attendees will have a solid understanding of how to leverage QGIS for hydrological analysis, enabling them to apply these techniques to their own projects and research.


Level of the workshop: 2: intermediate Pre-requirements for attendees:
  • Please bring your laptop with preferably QGIS LTR or newer installed.
  • Install the PCRaster Tools plugin following these instructions
  • Install the Whiteboxtools plugin following these instructions
  • Install the SAGA NextGen plugin and make sure the SAGA tools work. Windows users can check this video
  • Make sure you can use GRASS tools in the processing toolbox
  • Feel free to bring your own DEM raster to work with
Coding knowledge required?:

No

Link to software source code repository: Link to software source code repository

Hans van der Kwast is Associate Professor of Open Science and Digital Innovation at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. Through the GIS OpenCourseWare platform and his popular YouTube channel he shares free tutorials. He is a board member of the Dutch QGIS Users Association and has his own consultancy QWAST-GIS. He co-authored the book QGIS for Hydrological Applications with Locate Press.