Nov 25, 2026: CSHS Hands-On Workshop – Stationary and Nonstationary Flood Frequency Analysis with the Open-Source FFA Framework: Preparing for a Changing Earth

When: Wednesday, November 25th

Presenter: Cuauhtémoc T. Vidrio-Sahagún, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil, Geological, and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Saskatchewan

Description: 

Hands-on workshop: stationary and nonstationary flood frequency analysis with the open-source FFA Framework – preparing for a changing Earth.

In flood frequency analysis (FFA), methodological choices can hinder result reproducibility, and changes in climate, land use/cover, and water management can induce nonstationarity in floods. Yet frameworks for deciding between stationary (S-FFA) and nonstationary (NS-FFA) approaches are lacking, and NS-FFA tools remain limited.

This hands-on workshop introduces the FFA Framework (Vidrio-Sahagún et al., 2024), a systematic, software-supported workflow for repeatable S-FFA and NS-FFA, implemented in the open-source R package ffaframework (available on CRAN). Participants will work through the framework’s modules using real flood data, from (a) exploratory data analysis to assess evidence for stationary or nonstationary approach determination to performing FFA, including model determination, parameter estimation, uncertainty quantification, and model performance assessment. Short conceptual overviews will be paired with guided coding exercises that show how the framework allows modeller discretion while ensuring reproducibility. Participants will leave with reusable scripts and skills to apply the framework to their own data. Basic familiarity with R is helpful but not required.