Assessment of Climate Change Impact on the Gharesou River Basin Using SWAT Hydrological Model

Abstract

The evaluation of climate change and its side effects on the hydrological processes of the basin can increasingly help in dealing with the challenges that water resource managers and planners face in future courses. These side effects are investigated using the simulation of hydrological processes with the help of physical rainfall‐runoff model. Hydrological models provide a framework for examining the relationship between climate and water resources. This research aims at the investigation of the effect of climate change on the runoff of Gharesou, which is one of the main branches of the “Karkheh” River in Iran during the periods 2040–2069. To achieve this, the distributed hydrological model Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) – a model that is sensitive to the changes in land, water, and climate – has been used with the aim of evaluating the impact of climate change on the hydrology of the Gharesou Basin. For this reason, first, the continuous distributed model of rainfall‐runoff SWAT for the period 1971–2000 has been calibrated and validated. Next, with the aim of evaluating the impact of climate change and global warming on the basin hydrology for the period 2040–2069, HadCM3‐AR4 global climate model data under the A2 scenario – from the SRES scenario set‐haves been downscaled. Eventually, the downscaled climate data haves been introduced in the SWAT model, and the future runoff changes have been studied. The results showed that the temperature increases in most of the months, and the precipitation rate exhibits a change in the range of ±30%. Moreover, the produced runoff in this period changes from −90 to 120% during different months.

Quantifying the Effect of Land Use Change and Climate Variability on Green Water Resources in the Xihe River Basin, Northeast China

“…Climate variability and land use change have a major influence on the hydrological cycle and green water resources in the river basin. Climate variability is reflected by changes in meteorological elements including rainfall and temperature [5,6], while land use change influences green water resources in river basins through soil water holding capacity, surface evapotranspiration, and so on [7]. Therefore, studying the influence of climate variability and land use change on green water resources can provide theoretical bases for regional water resource management and ecological water resource planning.…”

Effectiveness of Soil and Water Conservation Practices Under Climate Change in the Gorganroud Basin, Iran

“…Several previous studies have been conducted to assess the impact of future climate change on the watershed hydrology . A limited number of studies has reported on the potential impact of climate change on soil erosion and sediment yield .…”

Different modelling approaches to evaluate nitrogen transport and turnover at the watershed scale

“…In recent decades, hydrological and water quality numerical models have become essential tools for water resources planning, development and management; they have improved the understanding of hydrological systems and helped assess the effects of different changes (e.g., climate and land use) (Zahabiyoun et al, 2013;Meiyappan et al, 2014). These models greatly differ in their modelling possibilities and thus, also in their complexity (Meyer and Gee, 1999;Wagener, 2007).…”