Climate Data Information

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 ...