scholarly journals Predicting hydrologic responses to climate changes in highly glacierized and mountainous region Upper Indus Basin

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 191957 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Izhar Shah ◽  
Asif Khan ◽  
Tahir Ali Akbar ◽  
Quazi K. Hassan ◽  
Asim Jahangir Khan ◽  
...  

The Upper Indus Basin (UIB) is a major source of supplying water to different areas because of snow and glaciers melt and is also enduring the regional impacts of global climate change. The expected changes in temperature, precipitation and snowmelt could be reasons for further escalation of the problem. Therefore, estimation of hydrological processes is critical for UIB. The objectives of this paper were to estimate the impacts of climate change on water resources and future projection for surface water under different climatic scenarios using soil and water assessment tool (SWAT). The methodology includes: (i) development of SWAT model using land cover, soil and meteorological data; (ii) calibration of the model using daily flow data from 1978 to 1993; (iii) model validation for the time 1994–2003; (iv) bias correction of regional climate model (RCM), and (v) utilization of bias-corrected RCM for future assessment under representative concentration pathways RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 for mid (2041–2070) and late century (2071–2100). The results of the study revealed a strong correlation between simulated and observed flow with R 2 and Nash–Sutcliff efficiency (NSE) equal to 0.85 each for daily flow. For validation, R 2 and NSE were found to be 0.84 and 0.80, respectively. Compared to baseline period (1976–2005), the result of RCM showed an increase in temperature ranging from 2.36°C to 3.50°C and 2.92°C to 5.23°C for RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 respectively, till the end of the twenty-first century. Likewise, the increase in annual average precipitation is 2.4% to 2.5% and 6.0% to 4.6% (mid to late century) under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively. The model simulation results for RCP4.5 showed increase in flow by 19.24% and 16.78% for mid and late century, respectively. For RCP8.5, the increase in flow is 20.13% and 15.86% during mid and late century, respectively. The model was more sensitive towards available moisture and snowmelt parameters. Thus, SWAT model could be used as effective tool for climate change valuation and for sustainable management of water resources in future.

Author(s):  
Jamal H. Ougahi ◽  
Mark E. J. Cutler ◽  
Simon J. Cook

Abstract Climate change has implications for water resources by increasing temperature, shifting precipitation patterns and altering the timing of snowfall and glacier melt, leading to shifts in the seasonality of river flows. Here, the Soil & Water Assessment Tool was run using downscaled precipitation and temperature projections from five global climate models (GCMs) and their multi-model mean to estimate the potential impact of climate change on water balance components in sub-basins of the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) under two emission (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) and future (2020–2050 and 2070–2100) scenarios. Warming of above 6 °C relative to baseline (1974–2004) is projected for the UIB by the end of the century (2070–2100), but the spread of annual precipitation projections among GCMs is large (+16 to −28%), and even larger for seasonal precipitation (+91 to −48%). Compared to the baseline, an increase in summer precipitation (RCP8.5: +36.7%) and a decrease in winter precipitation were projected (RCP8.5: −16.9%), with an increase in average annual water yield from the nival–glacial regime and river flow peaking 1 month earlier. We conclude that predicted warming during winter and spring could substantially affect the seasonal river flows, with important implications for water supplies.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young Do Kim ◽  
Jung Min Kim ◽  
Boosik Kang

A hydro-environmental model chain in the Doam dam basin, Korea, was developed for an impact assessment under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's A1B scenario. The feasible downscaling scheme composed of an artificial neural network (ANN) and non-stationary quantile mapping was applied to the GCM (Global Climate Model) output. The impacts under climate and land use change scenarios were examined and projected using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The daily SWAT model was calibrated and validated for 2003–2004 and 2006–2008, respectively. Meanwhile the monthly SS (suspended solids) was calibrated and validated for 1999–2001 and 2007–2009, respectively. The simulation results illustrated that under the assumption of 1–5% urbanization of the forest area, the hydrologic impact is relatively negligible and the climate change impacts are dominant over the urbanization impacts. Additionally the partial impacts of land use changes were analyzed under five different scenarios: partial change of forest to urban (PCFUr), to bare field, to grassland, to upland crop (PCFUp), and to agriculture (PCFA). The analysis of the runoff change shows the highest rate of increase, 73.57% in April, for the PCFUp scenario. The second and third highest rate increases, 37.83% and 31.45% in May, occurred under the PCFA and PCFUr scenarios, respectively.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2897 ◽  
Author(s):  
Binbin Zhang ◽  
Narayan Shrestha ◽  
Prasad Daggupati ◽  
Ramesh Rudra ◽  
Rituraj Shukla ◽  
...  

This paper focuses on understanding the effects of projected climate change on streamflow dynamics of the Grand and Thames rivers of the Northern Lake Erie (NLE) basin. A soil water assessment tool (SWAT) model is developed, calibrated, and validated in a base-period. The model is able to simulate the monthly streamflow dynamics with ‘Good’ to ‘Very Good’ accuracy. The calibrated and validated model is then subjected with daily bias-corrected future climatic data from the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CanRCM4). Five bias-correction methods and their 12 combinations were evaluated using the Climate Model data for hydrologic modeling (CMhyd). Distribution mapping (DM) performed the best and was used for further analysis. Two future time-periods and two IPCC AR5 representative concentration pathways (RCPs) are considered. Results showed marked temporal and spatial variability in precipitation (−37% to +63%) and temperature (−3 °C to +14 °C) changes, which are reflected in evapotranspiration (−52% to +412%) and soil water storage (−60% to +12%) changes, resulting in heterogeneity in streamflow (−77% to +170%) changes. On average, increases in winter (+11%), and decreases in spring (–33%), summer (−23%), and autumn (−15%) streamflow are expected in future. This is the first work of this kind in the NLE and such marked variability in water resources availability poses considerable challenges to water resources planners and managers.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1313
Author(s):  
George Akoko ◽  
Tu Hoang Le ◽  
Takashi Gomi ◽  
Tasuku Kato

The soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) is a well-known hydrological modeling tool that has been applied in various hydrologic and environmental simulations. A total of 206 studies over a 15-year period (2005–2019) were identified from various peer-reviewed scientific journals listed on the SWAT website database, which is supported by the Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD). These studies were categorized into five areas, namely applications considering: water resources and streamflow, erosion and sedimentation, land-use management and agricultural-related contexts, climate-change contexts, and model parameterization and dataset inputs. Water resources studies were applied to understand hydrological processes and responses in various river basins. Land-use and agriculture-related context studies mainly analyzed impacts and mitigation measures on the environment and provided insights into better environmental management. Erosion and sedimentation studies using the SWAT model were done to quantify sediment yield and evaluate soil conservation measures. Climate-change context studies mainly demonstrated streamflow sensitivity to weather changes. The model parameterization studies highlighted parameter selection in streamflow analysis, model improvements, and basin scale calibrations. Dataset inputs mainly compared simulations with rain-gauge and global rainfall data sources. The challenges and advantages of the SWAT model’s applications, which range from data availability and prediction uncertainties to the model’s capability in various applications, are highlighted. Discussions on considerations for future simulations such as data sharing, and potential for better future analysis are also highlighted. Increased efforts in local data availability and a multidimensional approach in future simulations are recommended.


Author(s):  
Amina Mami ◽  
Djilali Yebdri ◽  
Sabine Sauvage ◽  
Mélanie Raimonet ◽  
José Miguel

Abstract Climate change is expected to increase in the future in the Mediterranean region, including Algeria. The Tafna basin, vulnerable to drought, is one of the most important catchments ensuring water self-sufficiency in northwestern Algeria. The objective of this study is to estimate the evolution of hydrological components of the Tafna basin, throughout 2020–2099, comparing to the period 1981–2000. The SWAT model (Soil and Water Assessment Tool), calibrated and validated on the Tafna basin with good Nash at the outlet 0.82, is applied to analyze the spatial and temporal evolution of hydrological components, over the basin throughout 2020–2099. The application is produced using a precipitation and temperature minimum/maximum of an ensemble of climate model outputs obtained from a combination of eight global climate models and two regional climate models of Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment project. The results of this study show that the decrease of precipitation in January, on average −25%, ranged between −5% and −44% in the future. This diminution affects all of the water components and fluxes of a watershed, namely, in descending order of impact: the river discharge causing a decrease −36%, the soil water available −31%, the evapotranspiration −30%, and the lateral flow −29%.


2013 ◽  
Vol 726-731 ◽  
pp. 3480-3485
Author(s):  
Jian Liu ◽  
Jian Qing Zhai ◽  
Hui Tao ◽  
Xu Chun Ye

The study explored global climate change influence on water resources in Yellow River basin. A HBV hydrological model was developed to simulate the rainfall-runoff relationship at the region. Importing the CCLM climate model data, runoff at Lijin station was obtained in 2000-2039. The results indicate: (1) the annual average runoff depth is 1213mm, runoff in summer is larger than in spring,autumn and winter. The water resources decrease in three months (March, April and Jun) and increase in other months. (2) for inter-annual variations, the water resources increases slightly, and increase trend is about 64.8mm/10a. Water resources are insufficient in 200-2016, and rise gradually from 2017. (3) for different decades, the water resources are lack relatively in 2001-2010 and 2011-2020, and the differences are-59.4mm and-76.0mm respectively. While, the water resources in 2021-2030 and 2031-2039 are abundant, and the differences are 90.6mm and 88.8mm respectively.


2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishal Singh ◽  
Ashutosh Sharma ◽  
Manish Kumar Goyal

Abstract Here, a regional climate model (RCM) RegCM4 and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5) global climate models (GCMs) such as Coupled Physical Model (CM3), Coupled Climate Model phase 1 (CM2P1) and Earth System Model (ESM-2M) with their representative concentration pathway (RCP) datasets were utilized in projecting hydro-climatological variables such as precipitation, temperature, and streamflow in Teesta River basin in north Sikkim, eastern Himalaya, India. For downscaling, a ‘predictor selection analysis’ was performed utilizing a statistical downscaling model. The precision and applicability of RCM and GCM datasets were assessed using several statistical evaluation functions. The downscaled temperature and precipitation datasets were used in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model for projecting the water yield and streamflow. A Sequential Uncertainty Parameter Fitting 2 optimization algorithm was used for optimizing the coefficient parameter values. The Mann–Kendall test results showed increasing trend in projected temperature and precipitation for future time. A significant increase in minimum temperature was found for the projected scenarios. The SWAT model-based projected outcomes showed a substantial increase in the streamflow and water yield. The results provide an understanding about the hydro-climatological data uncertainties and future changes associated with hydrological components that could be expected because of climate change.


2020 ◽  
Vol 163 (3) ◽  
pp. 1227-1246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Fraz Ismail ◽  
Bibi S. Naz ◽  
Michel Wortmann ◽  
Markus Disse ◽  
Laura C. Bowling ◽  
...  

AbstractThis study performs a comparison of two model calibration/validation approaches and their influence on future hydrological projections under climate change by employing two climate scenarios (RCP2.6 and 8.5) projected by four global climate models. Two hydrological models (HMs), snowmelt runoff model + glaciers and variable infiltration capacity model coupled with a glacier model, were used to simulate streamflow in the highly snow and glacier melt–driven Upper Indus Basin. In the first (conventional) calibration approach, the models were calibrated only at the basin outlet, while in the second (enhanced) approach intermediate gauges, different climate conditions and glacier mass balance were considered. Using the conventional and enhanced calibration approaches, the monthly Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) for both HMs ranged from 0.71 to 0.93 and 0.79 to 0.90 in the calibration, while 0.57–0.92 and 0.54–0.83 in the validation periods, respectively. For the future impact assessment, comparison of differences based on the two calibration/validation methods at the annual scale (i.e. 2011–2099) shows small to moderate differences of up to 10%, whereas differences at the monthly scale reached up to 19% in the cold months (i.e. October–March) for the far future period. Comparison of sources of uncertainty using analysis of variance showed that the contribution of HM parameter uncertainty to the overall uncertainty is becoming very small by the end of the century using the enhanced approach. This indicates that enhanced approach could potentially help to reduce uncertainties in the hydrological projections when compared to the conventional calibration approach.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10395
Author(s):  
Yufei Jiao ◽  
Jia Liu ◽  
Chuanzhe Li ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Fuliang Yu ◽  
...  

The influence of climate change and human activities on hydrological elements has increased along with increasing dependence on water resources. Therefore, quantitative attribution of hydrological elements has received wide attention. In this study, the double mass curve (DMC) is used to assess the abrupt change point of the hydrological data series, based on which the periods with/without large-scale human activities causing runoff attenuation are separated. The land use transition matrix is then employed to analyze the land use types at different historical stages, and the sensitivities of the runoff attenuation to different land use/cover change (LUCC) categories are quantified. A soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model that considers the underlying surface is constructed with six designed scenarios of different climate and LUCC conditions. Taking three typical mountainous basins in North China as the study area, the quantitative contributions of climate change and human activities to the water resources are identified. The results of the study have brought enlightenment to the water resource sustainable utilization and management in North China, and the methodologies can be transferred to runoff attribution analysis in water shortage areas.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document