Regional climate projections for impact assessment studies in East Africa
In order to overcome limitations of climate projections from Global Climate Models (GCMs), such as coarse spatial resolution and biases, in this study, the Statistical Down-Scaling Model (SDSM) is used to downscale daily precipitation and maximum and minimum temperature (T-max and T-min) required by...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab055a |
| _version_ | 1797748148396883968 |
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| author | Solomon H Gebrechorkos Stephan Hülsmann Christian Bernhofer |
| author_facet | Solomon H Gebrechorkos Stephan Hülsmann Christian Bernhofer |
| author_sort | Solomon H Gebrechorkos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In order to overcome limitations of climate projections from Global Climate Models (GCMs), such as coarse spatial resolution and biases, in this study, the Statistical Down-Scaling Model (SDSM) is used to downscale daily precipitation and maximum and minimum temperature (T-max and T-min) required by impact assessment models. We focus on East Africa, a region known to be highly vulnerable to climate change and at the same time facing challenges concerning availability and accessibility of climate data. SDSM is first calibrated and validated using observed daily precipitation, (T-max, and T-min) from 214 stations and predictors derived from the reanalysis data of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. For projection (2006–2100), the same predictors derived from the second generation Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM2) are used. SDSM projections show an increase in precipitation during the short-rain season (October–December) in large parts of the region in the 2020s (2011–2040), 2050s (2041–2070), and 2080s (2071–2100). During the long-rain season (March–May (MAM)) precipitation is expected to increase (up to 680 mm) in Ethiopia, mainly in the western part, and Kenya and decrease (up to −500 mm) in Tanzania in the 2020s, 2050s, and 2080s. However, the western part of Ethiopia will be much drier than the baseline period (1961–1990) during June–September (JJAS) in the 2020s, 2050s, and 2080s, which indicates a shift in precipitation from JJAS to MAM. Annually, precipitation, T-max, and T-min will be higher than during the baseline period throughout the 21 century in large parts of the region. The projection based on SDSM is in line with the direction of CMIP5 GCMs but differs in magnitude, particularly for T-max and T-min. Overall, we conclude that the downscaled data allow for much more fine-scaled adaptation plans and ultimately better management of the impacts of projected climate in basins of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:00:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8ba089ba0b5e46b3beaa9d5ed63d9e44 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T16:00:44Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-8ba089ba0b5e46b3beaa9d5ed63d9e442023-08-09T14:38:40ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262019-01-0114404403110.1088/1748-9326/ab055aRegional climate projections for impact assessment studies in East AfricaSolomon H Gebrechorkos0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7498-0695Stephan Hülsmann1Christian Bernhofer2United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES) , D-01067 Dresden, Germany; Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Institute of Hydrology and Meteorology, Technische Universität Dresden , D-01062 Dresden, GermanyUnited Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES) , D-01067 Dresden, GermanyFaculty of Environmental Sciences, Institute of Hydrology and Meteorology, Technische Universität Dresden , D-01062 Dresden, GermanyIn order to overcome limitations of climate projections from Global Climate Models (GCMs), such as coarse spatial resolution and biases, in this study, the Statistical Down-Scaling Model (SDSM) is used to downscale daily precipitation and maximum and minimum temperature (T-max and T-min) required by impact assessment models. We focus on East Africa, a region known to be highly vulnerable to climate change and at the same time facing challenges concerning availability and accessibility of climate data. SDSM is first calibrated and validated using observed daily precipitation, (T-max, and T-min) from 214 stations and predictors derived from the reanalysis data of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. For projection (2006–2100), the same predictors derived from the second generation Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM2) are used. SDSM projections show an increase in precipitation during the short-rain season (October–December) in large parts of the region in the 2020s (2011–2040), 2050s (2041–2070), and 2080s (2071–2100). During the long-rain season (March–May (MAM)) precipitation is expected to increase (up to 680 mm) in Ethiopia, mainly in the western part, and Kenya and decrease (up to −500 mm) in Tanzania in the 2020s, 2050s, and 2080s. However, the western part of Ethiopia will be much drier than the baseline period (1961–1990) during June–September (JJAS) in the 2020s, 2050s, and 2080s, which indicates a shift in precipitation from JJAS to MAM. Annually, precipitation, T-max, and T-min will be higher than during the baseline period throughout the 21 century in large parts of the region. The projection based on SDSM is in line with the direction of CMIP5 GCMs but differs in magnitude, particularly for T-max and T-min. Overall, we conclude that the downscaled data allow for much more fine-scaled adaptation plans and ultimately better management of the impacts of projected climate in basins of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab055aEast Africaclimate projectionprecipitationtemperatureimpact assessmentSDSM |
| spellingShingle | Solomon H Gebrechorkos Stephan Hülsmann Christian Bernhofer Regional climate projections for impact assessment studies in East Africa Environmental Research Letters East Africa climate projection precipitation temperature impact assessment SDSM |
| title | Regional climate projections for impact assessment studies in East Africa |
| title_full | Regional climate projections for impact assessment studies in East Africa |
| title_fullStr | Regional climate projections for impact assessment studies in East Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Regional climate projections for impact assessment studies in East Africa |
| title_short | Regional climate projections for impact assessment studies in East Africa |
| title_sort | regional climate projections for impact assessment studies in east africa |
| topic | East Africa climate projection precipitation temperature impact assessment SDSM |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab055a |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT solomonhgebrechorkos regionalclimateprojectionsforimpactassessmentstudiesineastafrica AT stephanhulsmann regionalclimateprojectionsforimpactassessmentstudiesineastafrica AT christianbernhofer regionalclimateprojectionsforimpactassessmentstudiesineastafrica |