Impact of Climate Change on the Streamflow Modulated by Changes in Precipitation and Temperature in the North Latitude Watershed of Nepal
It is unambiguous that climate change alters the intensity and frequency of precipitation and temperature distribution at the global and local levels. The rate of change in temperature in the northern latitudes is higher than the worldwide average. The annual distribution of precipitation over the H...
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MDPI AG
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Hydrology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/8/3/117 |
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| author | Manisha Maharjan Anil Aryal Rocky Talchabhadel Bhesh Raj Thapa |
| author_facet | Manisha Maharjan Anil Aryal Rocky Talchabhadel Bhesh Raj Thapa |
| author_sort | Manisha Maharjan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | It is unambiguous that climate change alters the intensity and frequency of precipitation and temperature distribution at the global and local levels. The rate of change in temperature in the northern latitudes is higher than the worldwide average. The annual distribution of precipitation over the Himalayas in the northern latitudes shows substantial spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Precipitation and temperature are the major driving factors that impact the streamflow and water availability in the basin, illustrating the importance of research on the impact of climate change on streamflow by varying the precipitation and temperature in the Thuli Bheri River Basin (TBRB). Multiple climate models were used to project and evaluate the precipitation and temperature distribution changes in temporal and spatial domains. To analyze the potential impact of climate change on the streamflow in the basin, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model was used. The climate projection was carried out in three future time windows. The result shows that the precipitation fluctuates between approximately +12% and +50%, the maximum temperature varies between −7% and +7%, and the minimum temperature rises from +0.7% to +5% in intermediate- and high-emission scenarios. In contrast, the streamflow in the basin varies from −40% to +85%. Thus, there is a significant trend in the temperature increase and precipitation reduction in the basin. Further, the relationship between precipitation and temperature with streamflow shows a substantial dependency between them. The variability in precipitation and streamflow is successfully represented by the water yield in the basin, which plays an important role in the sustainability of the water-related projects in the basin and downstream to it. This also helps quantify the amount of water available for hydropower generation, agricultural production, and the water ecosystem in the TBRB. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:37:03Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2306-5338 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:37:03Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Hydrology |
| spelling | doaj.art-bcd4bb36a333407497b6703ca37a32e02023-11-22T13:22:34ZengMDPI AGHydrology2306-53382021-08-018311710.3390/hydrology8030117Impact of Climate Change on the Streamflow Modulated by Changes in Precipitation and Temperature in the North Latitude Watershed of NepalManisha Maharjan0Anil Aryal1Rocky Talchabhadel2Bhesh Raj Thapa3Department of Environmental Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto 615-8510, JapanInterdisciplinary Centre for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi, Kofu 400-8510, JapanTexas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas A&M University, El Paso, TX 79927, USASmartphones for Water Nepal (S4W-Nepal), Lalitpur 44700, NepalIt is unambiguous that climate change alters the intensity and frequency of precipitation and temperature distribution at the global and local levels. The rate of change in temperature in the northern latitudes is higher than the worldwide average. The annual distribution of precipitation over the Himalayas in the northern latitudes shows substantial spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Precipitation and temperature are the major driving factors that impact the streamflow and water availability in the basin, illustrating the importance of research on the impact of climate change on streamflow by varying the precipitation and temperature in the Thuli Bheri River Basin (TBRB). Multiple climate models were used to project and evaluate the precipitation and temperature distribution changes in temporal and spatial domains. To analyze the potential impact of climate change on the streamflow in the basin, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model was used. The climate projection was carried out in three future time windows. The result shows that the precipitation fluctuates between approximately +12% and +50%, the maximum temperature varies between −7% and +7%, and the minimum temperature rises from +0.7% to +5% in intermediate- and high-emission scenarios. In contrast, the streamflow in the basin varies from −40% to +85%. Thus, there is a significant trend in the temperature increase and precipitation reduction in the basin. Further, the relationship between precipitation and temperature with streamflow shows a substantial dependency between them. The variability in precipitation and streamflow is successfully represented by the water yield in the basin, which plays an important role in the sustainability of the water-related projects in the basin and downstream to it. This also helps quantify the amount of water available for hydropower generation, agricultural production, and the water ecosystem in the TBRB.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/8/3/117climate changeclimate modelssnow-fedThuli Bheri River Basinwater yield |
| spellingShingle | Manisha Maharjan Anil Aryal Rocky Talchabhadel Bhesh Raj Thapa Impact of Climate Change on the Streamflow Modulated by Changes in Precipitation and Temperature in the North Latitude Watershed of Nepal Hydrology climate change climate models snow-fed Thuli Bheri River Basin water yield |
| title | Impact of Climate Change on the Streamflow Modulated by Changes in Precipitation and Temperature in the North Latitude Watershed of Nepal |
| title_full | Impact of Climate Change on the Streamflow Modulated by Changes in Precipitation and Temperature in the North Latitude Watershed of Nepal |
| title_fullStr | Impact of Climate Change on the Streamflow Modulated by Changes in Precipitation and Temperature in the North Latitude Watershed of Nepal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of Climate Change on the Streamflow Modulated by Changes in Precipitation and Temperature in the North Latitude Watershed of Nepal |
| title_short | Impact of Climate Change on the Streamflow Modulated by Changes in Precipitation and Temperature in the North Latitude Watershed of Nepal |
| title_sort | impact of climate change on the streamflow modulated by changes in precipitation and temperature in the north latitude watershed of nepal |
| topic | climate change climate models snow-fed Thuli Bheri River Basin water yield |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/8/3/117 |
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