Climate Data Information

Climate Change Impact Part 12: Example – Kagera Basin (Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania) Summary The Kagera basin flows into Lake Victoria and as such it forms part of the Nile Basin. An extensive data base of climate and flows was available and was used to calibrate the HYSIM hydrological model to 22 sub-basins. Climate projections show that rainfall is projected to increase but temperature (and hence evapotranspiration) is also expected to increase. Whilst the two changes to some extent balance out, the increase in temperature still has important implications for the future of agriculture. Introduction The Kagera River Basin and its tributaries flow within four countries (Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania). The Kagera River flows into Lake Victoria which in turn forms part of the Nile River Basin. The aim of the study was to assess the water resources potential of the basin and also to estimate the potential effect of climate change. Figure 1 is a map

Climate Change Impact Part 11: Example –Turkey Summary The Yesilirmak Basin in northern Turkey drains into the Black Sea.  The basin is currently highly developed for hydropower and irrigation. The impact of climate change will be to reduce annual flow. Currently snow melt in late spring provides water at the start of the irrigation season; critically, the biggest reduction in flow will be during this period. To maintain current levels of irrigation will require additional storage.  Introduction The Yeşilirmak basin in northern Turkey has a drainage area of around 36,000 km2 and flows into the Black Sea. The basin is mountainous with parts of the basin reaching elevations in excess of 2,000m. The aim of the study was to develop an understanding of the water balance of the basin and then to examine the potential effects of climate change on the basin. The basin is heavily developed, mainly for irrigation and hydropower. Figure  1  Yesilirmak River Basin

Climate Change Impact Part 10: Example –  Zambia Summary Zambia has a climate typical of Southern Africa with cool dry winters (June to August) with hot wet summers. The potential impact of climate change was studied as part of a project enhancing the country's skills in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). Temperature are expected to rise throughout the year and over the whole country with slightly higher increases in the south-east. The changes in precipitation are less consistent with some months projected to have an increase and others to have a reduction. Introduction The Government of Zambia was fully aware of the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management.  The need for climate change to integrated in water resources planning was recognised in the National Water Plan of 1994. The Water Resources Management Act of 2011 took this a stage further. This act sought to create a National Water Authority. Section 8 of the Act on ‘Functions of

Climate Change Impact Part 9: Example –Kyrgyzstan Summary Kyrgyzstan has a continental climate with cold winters and hot summers. Most of the rain falls in the summer months and temperatures are below freezing for most of the winter months. It is projected that storm rainfall will increase by up to 20% and that the duration of lying snow will decrease. Introduction Kyrgyzstan is in central Asia and has severe winters with temperature below zero for many months, particularly in mountainous areas. Figure  1  Map of Kyrgyzstan showing project road Climate change can affect roads in many ways. The most obvious is storm rainfall; an increase in storm rainfall could require modification to current design for culverts and longitudinal drains. Other factors include daily temperature range, which could affect expansion joints, and maximum temperature, which could affect the choice of binding agent. Once current values of these parameters have been determine

Climate Change Impact Part 8: Example – Samoa Summary Some of the roads on Samoa had been damaged in recent storms and the objective of the project was to prepare the rehabilitation taking account of climate change. Climate data, including rainfall at a 10-inute time step for two stations were obtained. The data showed that there was a significant increase in rainfall with elevation (which might explain why the most severe damage to the roads was at highest elevations). A methodology was developed to estimate the storm intensity for a range of durations and return period taking account of climate change. Introduction Samoa consists of two main islands shown on the following map. Both islands have a road network. On Upolo there are roads around and across the island. On Savai’I the roads run around the island. There is a third island, to the east of and smaller than these two, which is a US territory. Figure  1  Map of Samoa The main aim of the proje

Climate Change Impact Part 7: Example – Vanuatu Summary The project examined projected changes to road flooding for four islands of the Vanuatu archipelago. The conclusion was that rainfall intensities would increase for all islands, particularly at the lower durations and return periods critical for road drainage. Introduction This example looks at the estimation of road flooding in Vanuatu. The islands of Vanuatu stretch from 13°S to 20°S and 116.e°E to 170.25°E. They lie about 2000 km from the coast of Australia. The following chart shows the layout of the islands of Vanuatu. The four islands highlighted in green, Ambae, Pentecost, Malekula and Tanna, were included in the study. The red crosses mark the location of climate measurement sites. The roads on the islands are being upgraded and for this it was necessary to ensure that road drainage would be effective for the whole life of the road taking into account projected climate change. Figure  1  Van

Climate Change Impact Part 6: Example – Tejo-Tajo-Tagus Summary The Tagus (Tejo or Tajo) is one of the most important rivers in Europe. It rises in Spain and flows through Portugal to the Atlantic Ocean. The river basin is highly developed with several large dams and abstractions for irrigation and urban water supply. Data on reservoir storage and abstractions were used to estimate the natural flow of the river. A hydrological model of the river (HYSIM) was calibrated to observed flows. The calibrated model was then run with projected climate changes. The conclusions were that flows in the river would reduce but that the changes associated with human activity were of a similar order of magnitude. Introduction The Tagus River (in English, Tajo in Spanish and Tejo in Portuguese) rises in the hearth of Spain and flows into the Atlantic close to Lisbon. The total basin area is 80,000 km 2 and the length of the river is 1060 km. The general approach to hydrology