Climate Change Assessment for Urban Water Resource Availability
Abstract
In the past two decades, scientific evidence has predicted a significant change in the earth’s climatic atmosphere. Although there are many studies that demonstrate changes in the atmospheric temperatures, there are few studies that show how climate change will influence in the availability of local water resource systems. Water resources are especially vulnerable to dramatic changes in temperature and precipitation, and significant impacts may be experienced by both human and ecosystems. The objective of this study is to develop a methodology to investigate the impacts of climate change on water resources. This is accomplished through coupling General Circulation Models (GCMs) with a hydrologic model and simulating hydrologic runoff for projected rainfall scenarios. Without an understanding of the potential climate change and the consequences for the timing and volumes of streamflows, current water management practices may not be robust enough to address the challenges and adapt to climate changes. This study demonstrates a methodology for exploring future water supply scenarios to advise water management and policy development. The modeling
methodology is demonstrated for an illustrative case study for the municipality of Arlington, TX.
Citation
Martinez, Ramiro (2011). Climate Change Assessment for Urban Water Resource Availability. Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -2011 -05 -9552.