Why Water Resources are Important?
Water count as Global sustenance. Natural waters are highly essential
for survival of ecology and for growing economy. Human needs it for maintaining
agriculture, navigation, manufacturing, and power production. As population is
growing global need of water is also getting intense. From many years, human
ingenuity channeled this resource accordance to his needs but now it is likely
to be disrupted by climate change and could potentially cause mega disaster.
How Climate Change Interact with Water Resource?
Water resources are usually considered as freshwater
resources. Majority of earth s’ water consist of saline water; however, nature
follow system of processes to filter out salinity and balancing water distribution,
process is called “Water Cycle”. Major transferring elements of water cycle are
in from of precipitation (rainfall, snow, hail, dew & etc.), Evapo-Transpiration
(evaporation and Transpiration from plant), Runoff/River and ground flows
(aquifer etc), while major storage component are water bodies (lakes (man-made
and natural), sea etc.), glaciers, soil moisture and depressions etc. For water
cycle temperature act as one of major regulating factor. Even small variation
of temperature with time can cause high fluctuation in water quantity. Understanding
foremost effect of climate change is rise in global temperatures and considering
above mechanism, one can trace the relationship between climate change and its
affects of water.
What could be the Impactof Climate Change on Water Resource?
Impact of rising temperature by Climate Change on water resources could widely differ from region to region. But generally, it induce intensification in hydrological distribution, for instant in Europe annual precipitation trend indicate that northern Europe has become 10%-40% wetter over the last century, whereas southern Europe has become up to 20% drier. Similarly, over the last century annual river discharge has increased in some regions, such as eastern Europe, while it has fallen in others, such as southern Europe.
If we just consider rivers, as they are integrated part of larger water resources and could be potential keystone to economy. Climate Change could cause significant change in seasonal variation of these river. As for most of rivers, Snow/ Glaciers are primary sources of replenishment. Water accumulates in winter in form of snow and get released in summer when temperature rise. However, this pattern could dysfunction by surge in winter temperature, which may cause higher river flow in winter due to higher rate of melting, lower in retention time conjunction to lessening of snow precipitation. Moreover, earlier spring melts will lead to a shift in peak flow levels. As a result of the declining snow reservoir and decreasing glaciers, there will be less water to compensate for the low flow rates in summer. In some areas, following scenario, is likely to trigger increase in water demand and dwindle the water supply.
Conversely, Climate change could also format weather pattern
to increase in precipitation and eventually river flows. These amplifications could
provoke frequent flooding, sea level rise and degradation of water quality causing
damage to infrastructure, loss of lives, and loss of valuable land.
Is that it? What Next?
Studying Implication of Climate Change on global water resources
are much more intricate than what we have discussed here, but it is also intriguing
too. It is vast subject and required comprehensive knowledge about social-economic
and scientific aspects. This article, tried to shade light on most fundamental aspect
(mostly hydrological) of Climate Change on water resources in simplest way to
raise general understanding and awareness.
How Can I Contribute to Resolve Climate Change?
Climate Change is global issue, decent outcome can only be achieved
if execution is also made on global scale. However, longer distance can only be
covered by making smaller steps. Efforts on smaller scale like (individual and
community) can also make difference. Small social steps like planting trees,
saving water, recycling, avoiding high carbon usage, usage of environment friendly
products, avoid high energy consumption, promoting environment friendly scheme
and spreading awareness can also initiate domino effect in society.
Proper Climate monitoring and analyzing can only be achieved by
reliable and finer climate data, Unfortunately, despite of remarkable scientific
advances and countless efforts much of the area remained ungauged with analysis
being performed on courser resolution. Simply, collecting and providing climate
data such as rainfall and temperature can contribute in making right decision.
What’s your thinking about this topic and its solution?
I will be glad to discuss it. My contact is down below. If you like, please share.
Thanks. :)
Article By:
Zain Syed
