FUTURE CHANGES OF

WATER DUE TO CLIMATE

CHANGE

Submitted to:
Dr. Y. Abbulu,
Seminar Faculty In-charge,
Department of Civil Engineering,
Andhra University.

Presented by:
M.MAHESH
315206309009

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

WATER AVAILABILITY AND DEMAND

DRIVERS OF FRESH WATER SYSTEMS

IMPACTS ON WATER CRISIS IN THE FUTURE

AREAS AND SECTORS HIGHLY VULNERABLE

CONFLICTS BETWEEN ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION

1. INTRODUCTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

CLIMATE :

The weather conditions prevailing in an area in general or

over a long period.
CLIMATE CHANGE :

The change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns

when that change lasts for an extended period of time.
CLIMATE OF INDIA :

India comprises a wide range of weather conditions across a

vast geographic scale and varied topography and called as
Tropical Monsoon type of climate .

2. WATER AVAILABILITY AND DEMAND

Impacts of climate change on water availability:
Precipitation variability.
Increase in water table at shallow water depths.
Quality and Quantity or seasonal timing of water availability.

Impacts of climate change on water demand:

Increased temperature lead to increased irrigation water demand
even with same precipitation.
The increase in household water demand and industrial water
demand due to climate change is likely to be 14 to 83% by 2050.

Water GAP (Water Global Assessment and Prognosis) is a global

water model developed at the Center for Environmental Systems
Research of the University of Kassel, Germany. It computes both water
availability and water use.

Generalized Process for Development of Case Studies

Global overview of the mean water availability

Change in average annual water availability

Aggregated results of the study for the Jordan river region

The graph depicts relative changes of the major water balance
components and of irrigation water demand for the scenario period
20702099 in comparison to the reference period 19611990.

3. DRIVERS OF FRESH WATER SYSTEMS

Climate related drivers:
Precipitation
Temperature
Evaporation demand

Non-Climatic drivers:
Land use change
Construction & Management of reservoirs
Population
Water & Waste water treatment
Pollutant emissions from industries

1.Precipitation:

Precipitation is the major source of water for surface water

resources. Due to climate change precipitation may increase in one

season and decrease in another. This variation of precipitation is also
from region to region. It causes of floods and droughts. Non availability
of water during dry periods and turbid water during floods.

2.Temperature:

Temperature is the most important factor and with the increase of

temperature water holding capacity of atmosphere increases and hence

more water is converted to vapour and this favours increased climate
variability. It is particularly important in snow-dominated basins and in
coastal areas. In coastal areas the impact of temperature of sea water
also effects.

3. Evaporative demand:
Evaporative demand is dependent on
Net radiation at the ground
Atmospheric humidity
Wind speed
Temperature
When accompanied by rising temperatures (which enhance
evaporative demand) would inevitably lead to both reduced
summer soil moisture and cause more frequent and intense
droughts.

4. IMPACTS ON WATER CRISIS IN THE FUTURE

The per capita availability of fresh water to drop from 1900m3
(2007) to

1000m3 (2025).

More intense rain, frequent flash floods in monsoons to result in a

higher runoff and reduction in ground water recharge.
Himalayan river systems draining into Ganga basin gradually dying
out.
Changes to the monsoon are expected to result in severe droughts
and

intense flooding in many parts of India.

IARI estimate that with every one degree celsius rise in temperatue,
India

will lose 4 to 5 million tonnes in wheat production.

Water Stress across the globe

Water stress in India

Estimated Water resources in India

Estimated Per Capita Water Availability in India

5. AREAS AND SECTORS HIGHLY VULNERABLE

Vulnerability:
Vulnerability refers the inability to withstand the effects of a
hostile environment.
Vulnerability encompasses a variety of concepts and elements
including sensitivity or susceptibility to harm and lack of capacity to
cope and adapt.
Fresh water areas and sectors highly vulnerable:
Hydrologic cycle
Precipitation intensity
Flow of water in watersheds
Quality of aquatic and marine environments

Vulnerability in Agriculture Sector

6. CONGLICTS BETWEEN ADAPTATION AND

MITIGATION

Adaptation:

Adaptation is the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate

and its effects.
In human systems, adaptation seeks to moderate or avoid harm or
exploit beneficial opportunities. In some natural systems, human
intervention may facilitate adjustment to expected climate and its effects.
It involves:
Using scarce water resources more efficiently
Adapting building codes to future climate conditions and extreme
weather

events

Developing drought tolerant crops

Building flood defences and raising the levels of dykes

Mitigation:
Climate change mitigation consists of actions to limit the magnitude
or rate of long term climate change. Hence mitigation is a process to
reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases.
It involves:
Reductions in human emissions of green house gases(GHG)
Increasing the capacity of carbon sinks
Switching to low carbon energy sources such as solar and nuclear
energy

Differences between Adaptation and Mitigation

Conflicts between Adaptation and Mitigation:

Possible conflicts between adaptation and mitigation might arise
over water resources.
The consequences from mitigation for adaptation and vice versa
are mostly marginal at the global level, although they may be
significant at the regional scale.
Mitigation reduces all impacts (positive and negative) of climate
change and thus reduces the adaptation challenge, whereas adaptation
is selective; it can take advantage of positive impacts and reduce
negative ones.
Mitigation has global benefits (benefits might be realised at the
local/regional level). Adaptation typically works on the scale of an
impacted system, which is regional at best.