Enhancing solids deposit prediction in gully pots with explainable hybrid models: a review

Abstract

Urban flooding has made it necessary to gain a better understanding of how well gully pots perform when overwhelmed by solids deposition due to various climatic and anthropogenic variables. This study investigates solids deposition in gully pots through the review of eight models, comprising of four deterministic models, two hybrid models, a statistical model, and a conceptual model, representing a wide spectrum of solid depositional processes. Traditional models understand and manage the impact of climatic and anthropogenic variables on solid deposition but they are prone to uncertainties due inadequate handling of complex and non-linear variables, restricted applicability, inflexibility and data bias. Hybrid models which integrate traditional models with data-driven approaches, have proved to improve predictions and guarantee the development of uncertainty-proof models. Despite their effectiveness, hybrid models lack explainability. Hence, this study explores the significance of eXplainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) tools in addressing the challenges associated with hybrid models. Finally, crossovers between various models and a representative workflow for the approach to solids deposition modelling in gully pots is suggested. The paper concludes that the application of explainable hybrid modelling can serve as a valuable tool for gully pot management as it can address key limitations present in existing models.