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A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water Resources Management, Policy and Governance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2021) | Viewed by 26433

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Michael Ernest Barber

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Guest Editor

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
Interests: water resources engineering; water quality; remote sensing; climate change

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The impacts of climate change on water resources around the world will require innovative adaptation to all phases of watershed planning and management. At the forefront are needs for improved methods of water budget measurement across multiple scales, robust predictive modeling of supply and demand, and improved understanding of the long-term socioeconomic impacts of adaptation strategies and policies.

This Special Issue of Water is devoted to promoting advances in global research into improved sensor technologies, novel remote sensing applications, and physically based modeling approaches aimed at improved quantification and subsequent holistic management of water resources. Pertinent examples of topics for this issue include the introduction of low-cost sensor networks, integration of drones and remote sensing into water demand models, water conservation and trading strategies, surface–groundwater interaction, aquifer storage and recovery, and economic valuations of ecosystem services.

All types of manuscripts (original research, review, etc.) are highly welcome.

Prof. Michael Ernest Barber
Guest Editor

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Keywords

droughts
floods
ecosystem services
hydrology
vulnerability
irrigation
evapotranspiration
planning and management
sustainability
socioeconomic impacts

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 25671 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Projection of Future Drought Characteristics under Multiple Drought Indices

by Muhammad Imran Khan, Xingye Zhu, Xiaoping Jiang, Qaisar Saddique, Muhammad Saifullah, Yasir Niaz and Muhammad Sajid

Water 2021, 13(9), 1238; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13091238 - 29 Apr 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3604

Abstract

Drought is a natural phenomenon caused by the variability of climate. This study was conducted in the Songhua River Basin of China. The drought events were estimated by using the Reconnaissance Drought Index (RDI) and Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) which are based on precipitation (P) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) data. Furthermore, drought characteristics were identified for the assessment of drought trends in the study area. Short term (3 months) and long term (12 months) projected meteorological droughts were identified by using these drought indices. Future climate precipitation and temperature time series data (2021–2099) of various Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) were estimated by using outputs of the Global Circulation Model downscaled with a statistical methodology. The results showed that RCP 4.5 have a greater number of moderate drought events as compared to RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5. Moreover, it was also noted that RCP 8.5 (40 events) and RCP 4.5 (38 events) showed a higher number of severe droughts on 12-month drought analysis in the study area. A severe drought conditions projected between 2073 and 2076 with drought severity (DS-1.66) and drought intensity (DI-0.42) while extreme drying trends were projected between 2097 and 2099 with drought severity (DS-1.85) and drought intensity (DI-0.62). It was also observed that Precipitation Decile predicted a greater number of years under deficit conditions under RCP 2.6. Overall results revealed that more severe droughts are expected to occur during the late phase (2050–2099) by using RDI and SPI. A comparative analysis of 3- and 12-month drying trends showed that RDI is prevailing during the 12-month drought analysis while almost both drought indices (RDI and SPI) indicated same behavior of drought identification at 3-month drought analysis between 2021 and 2099 in the research area. The results of study will help to evaluate the risk of future drought in the study area and be beneficial for the researcher to make an appropriate mitigation strategy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources)

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20 pages, 9023 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Estimation of the Climate Change Impact on the Hydrological Balance in Basins of South-Central Chile

by Rebeca Martínez-Retureta, Mauricio Aguayo, Norberto J Abreu, Alejandra Stehr, Iongel Duran-Llacer, Lien Rodríguez-López, Sabine Sauvage and José-Miguel Sánchez-Pérez

Water 2021, 13(6), 794; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13060794 - 14 Mar 2021

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4208

Abstract

In this study, the SWAT (Soil Water Assessment Tool) hydrological model is implemented to determine the effect of climate change on various hydrological components in two basins located in the foothills of the Andes: the Quino and Muco river basins. The water cycle is analyzed by comparing the model results to climatic data observed in the past (1982–2016) to understand its trend behaviors. Then, the variations and geographical distribution of the components of the hydrological cycle were analyzed using the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP)8.5 climate scenario to model two periods considering the immediate future (2020–2049) and intermediate future (2050–2079). In this way, in the study area, it is predicted that yearly average temperatures will increase up to 1.7 °C and that annual average precipitation will decrease up to 210 mm for the intermediate future. Obtained results show that the analyzed parameters presented the same trend behavior for both periods of time; however, a greater impact can be expected in the intermediate future. According to the spatial distribution, the impact worsens for all the parameters as the elevation increases in both basins. The model depicted that yearly average evapotranspiration would increase around 5.26% and 5.81% for Quino and Muco basins, respectively, due to the large increase in temperature. This may cause, when combined with the precipitation lessening, a decrease around 9.52% and 9.73% of percolation, 2.38% and 1.76% of surface flow, and 7.44% and 8.14% of groundwater for Quino and Muco basins, respectively, with a consequent decrease of the water yield in 5.25% and 4.98% in the aforementioned watersheds, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources)

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23 pages, 7568 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modelling the Impacts of Climate Change on Shallow Groundwater Conditions in Hungary

by Attila Kovács and András Jakab

Water 2021, 13(5), 668; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13050668 - 1 Mar 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4201

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to develop a methodology for the evaluation of direct climate impacts on shallow groundwater resources and its country-scale application in Hungary. A modular methodology was applied. It comprised the definition of climate zones and recharge zones, recharge calculation by hydrological models, and the numerical modelling of the groundwater table. Projections of regional climate models for three different time intervals were applied for the simulation of predictive scenarios. The investigated regional climate model projections predict rising annual average temperature and generally dropping annual rainfall rates throughout the following decades. Based on predictive modelling, recharge rates and groundwater levels are expected to drop in elevated geographic areas such as the Alpokalja, the Eastern parts of the Transdanubian Mountains, the Mecsek, and Northern Mountain Ranges. Less significant groundwater level drops are predicted in foothill areas, and across the Western part of the Tiszántúl, the Duna-Tisza Interfluve, and the Szigetköz areas. Slightly increasing recharge and groundwater levels are predicted in the Transdanubian Hills and the Western part of the Transdanubian Mountains. Simulation results represent groundwater conditions at the country scale. However, the applied methodology is suitable for simulating climate change impacts at various scales. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources)

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27 pages, 5615 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Assessing Reservoir Performance under Climate Change. When Is It Going to Be Too Late If Current Water Management Is Not Changed?

by Cristián Chadwick, Jorge Gironás, Pilar Barría, Sebastián Vicuña and Francisco Meza

Water 2021, 13(1), 64; https://doi.org/10.3390/w13010064 - 31 Dec 2020

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4925

Abstract

Climate change is modifying the way we design and operate water infrastructure, including reservoirs. A particular issue is that current infrastructure and reservoir management rules will likely operate under changing conditions different to those used in their design. Thus, there is a big need to identify the obsolescence of current operation rules under climate change, without compromising the proper treatment of uncertainty. Acknowledging that decision making benefits from the scientific knowledge, mainly when presented in a simple and easy-to-understand manner, such identification—and the corresponding uncertainty—must be clearly described and communicated. This paper presents a methodology to identify, in a simple and useful way, the time when current reservoir operation rules fail under changing climate by properly treating and presenting its aleatory and epistemic uncertainties and showing its deep uncertainty. For this purpose, we use a reliability–resilience–vulnerability framework with a General Circulation Models (GCM) ensemble under the four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) scenarios to compare the historical and future long-term reservoir system performances under its current operation rule in the Limarí basin, Chile, as a case study. The results include percentiles that define the uncertainty range, showing that during the 21st century there are significant changes at the time-based reliability by the 2030s, resilience between the 2030s and 2040s, volume-based reliability by the 2080s, and the maximum failure by the 2070s. Overall, this approach allows the identification of the timing of systematic failures in the performance of water systems given a certain performance threshold, which contributes to the planning, prioritization and implementation timing of adaptation alternatives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources)

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17 pages, 20411 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Variation in Reference Evapotranspiration over the Tibetan Plateau during 1961–2017: Spatiotemporal Variations, Future Trends and Links to Other Climatic Factors

by Yuan Liu, Qianyang Wang, Xiaolei Yao, Qi Jiang, Jingshan Yu and Weiwei Jiang

Water 2020, 12(11), 3178; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12113178 - 13 Nov 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2140

Abstract

Reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) is a key factor in the hydrological cycle and energy cycle. In the context of rapid climate change, studying the dynamic changes in ET₀ in the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is of great significance for water resource management in Asian countries. This study uses the Penman–Monteith formula to calculate the daily ET₀ of the TP and subsequently uses the Mann–Kendall (MK) test, cumulative anomaly curve, and sliding t-test to identify abrupt change points. Morlet wavelet analysis and the Hurst index based on rescaled range analysis (R/S) are utilized to predict the future trends of ET₀. The Spearman correlation coefficient is used to explore the relationship between ET₀ changes and other climate factors. The results show that the ET₀ on the TP exhibited an increasing trend from 1961 to 2017, with the most significant increase occurring in winter; an abrupt change to a tendency to decrease occurred in 1988, and another abrupt change to a tendency to increase occurred in 2005. Spatially, the ET₀ of the TP shows an increasing trend from east to west. The change trend of the ET₀ on the TP will not be sustainable into the future. In addition, the mean temperature has the greatest impact on the ET₀ changes in the TP. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources)

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15 pages, 7417 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Ensemble Climate-Hydrology Modeling System for Long-Term Streamflow Assessment in a Cold-Arid Watershed

by Jie Sun, Yongping Li, Jiansen Wu and Hongyu Zhang

Water 2020, 12(8), 2293; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12082293 - 14 Aug 2020

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2763

Abstract

Climate change can bring about substantial alternatives of temperature and precipitation in the spatial and temporal patterns. These alternatives would impact the hydrological cycle and cause flood or drought events. This study has developed an ensemble climate-hydrology modeling system (ECHMS) for long-term streamflow assessment under changing climate. ECHMS consists of multiple climate scenarios (two global climate models (GCMs) and four representative concentration pathways (RCPs) emission scenarios), a stepwise-cluster downscaling method and semi-distributed land use-based runoff process (SLURP) model. ECHMS is able to reflect the uncertainties in climate scenarios, tackle the complex relationships (e.g., nonlinear/linear, discrete/continuous) between climate predictors and predictions without functional assumption, and capture the combination of snowmelt– and rainfall–runoff process with a simplicity of operation. Then, the developed ECHMS is applied to Kaidu watershed for analyzing the changes of streamflow during the 21st century. Results show that by 2099, the temperature increment in Kaidu watershed is mainly contributed by the warming in winter and spring. The precipitation will increase obviously in spring and autumn and decrease in winter. Multi-year average streamflow would range from 105.6 to 113.8 m³/s across all scenarios during the 21st century with an overall increasing trend. The maximum average increasing rate is 2.43 m³/s per decade in October and the minimum is 0.26 m³/s per decade in January. Streamflow change in spring is more sensitive to climate change due to its complex runoff generation process. The obtained results can effectively identify future streamflow changing trends and help manage water resources for decision makers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources)

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25 pages, 12918 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Response of Groundwater Level to Climate Change and Human Activities in Baotou City, China

by Yingjie Cui, Zilong Liao, Yongfu Wei, Xiaomin Xu, Yifan Song and Huiwen Liu

Water 2020, 12(4), 1078; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12041078 - 10 Apr 2020

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3541

Abstract

The response mechanism of groundwater to climate change and human activities in cities within arid and semi-arid regions, such as the Urban Planning Area of Baotou City (UPABC), northern China, is a complicated problem to understand. We analyzed the climate change relationships, including precipitation and temperature, and analyzed changes in human activities, such as groundwater consumption, and then statistically analyzed the main factors affecting groundwater depth. Furthermore, cross-wavelet and wavelet coherence methods were used to analyze the response relationship and hysteresis of groundwater depth to precipitation to better understand the groundwater depth response law. The results showed that the annual precipitation in the UPABC reduction rate was 3.3 mm/10 yr, and the annual average temperature increase rate was 0.43 °C/10 yr, from 1981 to 2017. The unconfined water decrease rate was 0.50 m/yr, and the confined water decrease rate was 0.7 m/yr. The unconfined and confined water depths were affected by precipitation and groundwater exploitation, respectively, with correlation coefficients of 0.58 and 0.57, respectively. The hysteresis of groundwater depth to precipitation was about 9–14 months. However, changes in groundwater depth, especially confined water depth, were greatly affected by groundwater exploitation. This reflected the imbalance in consumption and recharges in the UPABC, highlighting the long-term risk in areas relying on access to this resource. Therefore, arid inland zones of northern China, such as the UPABC, should pay more attention to the rational development of groundwater and strengthen the management and protection of groundwater resources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources)

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