Implications of Climate Change for Water Resources Development in the Ganges Basin

This paper presents the first basin-wide assessment of the potential impact of climate change on the hydrology and production of the Ganges system, undertaken as part of the World Bank’s Ganges Strategic Basin Assessment. A series of modeling effor...

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Main Authors: Jeuland, Marc, Harshadeep, Nagaraja, Escurra, Jorge, Blackmore, Don, Sadoff, Claudia
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
en_US
Published: IWA Publishing 2016
Subjects:
CRU
GCM
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/03/26048528/implications-climate-change-water-resources-development-ganges-basin
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24122
id okr-10986-24122
recordtype oai_dc
spelling okr-10986-241222021-04-23T14:04:19Z Implications of Climate Change for Water Resources Development in the Ganges Basin Jeuland, Marc Harshadeep, Nagaraja Escurra, Jorge Blackmore, Don Sadoff, Claudia FLOODING WATER ALLOCATION COVERING POWER PLANTS FLOW TEMPERATURE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE WATER YIELD SNOW DAMS CONVERGENCE WATER SYSTEMS HYDROLOGY AQUIFER CLEAN ENERGY WATER SUPPLY WATER RESOURCE EMISSIONS CATCHMENTS GROUNDWATER RECHARGE RIVER BASINS DOMESTIC WATER RESERVOIRS ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES SURFACE WATER ATMOSPHERE WATER ALLOCATIONS HYDROLOGICAL RESPONSE EVAPOTRANSPIRATION WATER TOWERS CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY WATER CONSUMPTION WATER RESOURCES WATER STORAGE SALINE INTRUSION WATER MANAGEMENT LARGE DAMS WATER REQUIREMENTS MONSOONS FLOODS BASINS CAPACITY GLOBAL WARMING WATER USE WATER RAINFALL GLACIERS WATER USE PATTERNS AQUIFERS GROUNDWATER IRRIGATION IRRIGATORS NATURAL RESOURCES STREAMFLOW PRECIPITATION RUNOFF ANNUAL RAINFALL COASTAL AREAS WATER SHORTAGE GREENHOUSE GASES LAND USE TEMPERATURE CHANGE CLIMATE VARIABILITY WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS EMISSIONS SCENARIOS EMISSION GREENHOUSE STORAGE CAPACITY ECOSYSTEM CLIMATE RESEARCH UNIT HYDROPOWER POTENTIAL LEAD CLIMATE CHANGE IPCC WATER MANAGERS DROUGHT WATER USES ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SNOW MELT RIVER BASIN CLIMATE DATA HYDRODYNAMICS WATER DEMAND INTERNATIONAL WATERS FLOOD DAMAGE CLIMATE WATER POLICY FORESTS CRYOSPHERE CANALS CATCHMENT HYDROLOGICAL MODEL HYDROPOWER PRODUCTION RIVERS SEDIMENT LOAD SURFACE WATER IRRIGATION WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT INDIRECT RECHARGE SURFACE RUNOFF ENERGY PRODUCTION HYDROLOGIC REGIME WATER AVAILABILITY FLOW AUGMENTATION COASTS IRRIGATION SYSTEMS GENERAL CIRCULATION MODEL ENGINEERING IRRIGATION GROUNDWATER METERS LESS RAIN SEAWATER CRU EMISSIONS TRENDS GCM GROUNDWATER RESOURCES WATER CYCLE GASES CLIMATOLOGY EVAPORATION RIVER DELTAS WATERS CLIMATIC VARIABILITY EMISSIONS SCENARIO HYDROLOGICAL DATA AVAILABLE WATER MUNICIPAL WATER BENEFITS ENERGY REMOTE SENSING This paper presents the first basin-wide assessment of the potential impact of climate change on the hydrology and production of the Ganges system, undertaken as part of the World Bank’s Ganges Strategic Basin Assessment. A series of modeling efforts, downscaling of climate projections, water balance calculations, hydrological simulation and economic optimization, inform the assessment. The authors find that projections of precipitation across the basin, obtained from 16 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change-recognized General Circulation Models are highly variable, and lead to considerable differences in predictions of mean flows in the main stem of the Ganges and its tributaries. Despite uncertainties in predicted future flows, they are not, however, outside the range of natural variability in this basin, except perhaps at the tributary or sub-catchment levels. The authors also find that the hydropower potential associated with a set of 23 large dams in Nepal remains high across climate models, largely because annual flow in the tributary rivers greatly exceeds the storage capacities of these projects even in dry scenarios. The additional storage and smoothing of flows provided by these infrastructures translates into enhanced water availability in the dry season, but the relative value of this water for the purposes of irrigation in the Gangetic plain, and for low flow augmentation to Bangladesh under climate change, is unclear. 2016-04-25T17:13:32Z 2016-04-25T17:13:32Z 2013-03 Journal Article http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/03/26048528/implications-climate-change-water-resources-development-ganges-basin Water Policy http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24122 English en_US CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/ IWA Publishing IWA Publishing Publications & Research Publications & Research :: Journal Article South Asia South Asia Bangladesh India Nepal
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic FLOODING
WATER ALLOCATION
COVERING
POWER PLANTS
FLOW
TEMPERATURE
HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
WATER YIELD
SNOW
DAMS
CONVERGENCE
WATER SYSTEMS
HYDROLOGY
AQUIFER
CLEAN ENERGY
WATER SUPPLY
WATER RESOURCE
EMISSIONS
CATCHMENTS
GROUNDWATER RECHARGE
RIVER BASINS
DOMESTIC WATER
RESERVOIRS
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
SURFACE WATER
ATMOSPHERE
WATER ALLOCATIONS
HYDROLOGICAL RESPONSE
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION
WATER TOWERS
CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY
WATER CONSUMPTION
WATER RESOURCES
WATER STORAGE
SALINE INTRUSION
WATER MANAGEMENT
LARGE DAMS
WATER REQUIREMENTS
MONSOONS
FLOODS
BASINS
CAPACITY
GLOBAL WARMING
WATER USE
WATER
RAINFALL
GLACIERS
WATER USE PATTERNS
AQUIFERS
GROUNDWATER IRRIGATION
IRRIGATORS
NATURAL RESOURCES
STREAMFLOW
PRECIPITATION
RUNOFF
ANNUAL RAINFALL
COASTAL AREAS
WATER SHORTAGE
GREENHOUSE GASES
LAND USE
TEMPERATURE CHANGE
CLIMATE VARIABILITY
WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
EMISSIONS SCENARIOS
EMISSION
GREENHOUSE
STORAGE CAPACITY
ECOSYSTEM
CLIMATE RESEARCH UNIT
HYDROPOWER POTENTIAL
LEAD
CLIMATE CHANGE
IPCC
WATER MANAGERS
DROUGHT
WATER USES
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
SNOW MELT
RIVER BASIN
CLIMATE DATA
HYDRODYNAMICS
WATER DEMAND
INTERNATIONAL WATERS
FLOOD DAMAGE
CLIMATE
WATER POLICY
FORESTS
CRYOSPHERE
CANALS
CATCHMENT
HYDROLOGICAL MODEL
HYDROPOWER PRODUCTION
RIVERS
SEDIMENT LOAD
SURFACE WATER IRRIGATION
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT
INDIRECT RECHARGE
SURFACE RUNOFF
ENERGY PRODUCTION
HYDROLOGIC REGIME
WATER AVAILABILITY
FLOW AUGMENTATION
COASTS
IRRIGATION SYSTEMS
GENERAL CIRCULATION MODEL
ENGINEERING
IRRIGATION
GROUNDWATER
METERS
LESS
RAIN
SEAWATER
CRU
EMISSIONS TRENDS
GCM
GROUNDWATER RESOURCES
WATER CYCLE
GASES
CLIMATOLOGY
EVAPORATION
RIVER DELTAS
WATERS
CLIMATIC VARIABILITY
EMISSIONS SCENARIO
HYDROLOGICAL DATA
AVAILABLE WATER
MUNICIPAL WATER
BENEFITS
ENERGY
REMOTE SENSING
spellingShingle FLOODING
WATER ALLOCATION
COVERING
POWER PLANTS
FLOW
TEMPERATURE
HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
WATER YIELD
SNOW
DAMS
CONVERGENCE
WATER SYSTEMS
HYDROLOGY
AQUIFER
CLEAN ENERGY
WATER SUPPLY
WATER RESOURCE
EMISSIONS
CATCHMENTS
GROUNDWATER RECHARGE
RIVER BASINS
DOMESTIC WATER
RESERVOIRS
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
SURFACE WATER
ATMOSPHERE
WATER ALLOCATIONS
HYDROLOGICAL RESPONSE
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION
WATER TOWERS
CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY
WATER CONSUMPTION
WATER RESOURCES
WATER STORAGE
SALINE INTRUSION
WATER MANAGEMENT
LARGE DAMS
WATER REQUIREMENTS
MONSOONS
FLOODS
BASINS
CAPACITY
GLOBAL WARMING
WATER USE
WATER
RAINFALL
GLACIERS
WATER USE PATTERNS
AQUIFERS
GROUNDWATER IRRIGATION
IRRIGATORS
NATURAL RESOURCES
STREAMFLOW
PRECIPITATION
RUNOFF
ANNUAL RAINFALL
COASTAL AREAS
WATER SHORTAGE
GREENHOUSE GASES
LAND USE
TEMPERATURE CHANGE
CLIMATE VARIABILITY
WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
EMISSIONS SCENARIOS
EMISSION
GREENHOUSE
STORAGE CAPACITY
ECOSYSTEM
CLIMATE RESEARCH UNIT
HYDROPOWER POTENTIAL
LEAD
CLIMATE CHANGE
IPCC
WATER MANAGERS
DROUGHT
WATER USES
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
SNOW MELT
RIVER BASIN
CLIMATE DATA
HYDRODYNAMICS
WATER DEMAND
INTERNATIONAL WATERS
FLOOD DAMAGE
CLIMATE
WATER POLICY
FORESTS
CRYOSPHERE
CANALS
CATCHMENT
HYDROLOGICAL MODEL
HYDROPOWER PRODUCTION
RIVERS
SEDIMENT LOAD
SURFACE WATER IRRIGATION
WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT
INDIRECT RECHARGE
SURFACE RUNOFF
ENERGY PRODUCTION
HYDROLOGIC REGIME
WATER AVAILABILITY
FLOW AUGMENTATION
COASTS
IRRIGATION SYSTEMS
GENERAL CIRCULATION MODEL
ENGINEERING
IRRIGATION
GROUNDWATER
METERS
LESS
RAIN
SEAWATER
CRU
EMISSIONS TRENDS
GCM
GROUNDWATER RESOURCES
WATER CYCLE
GASES
CLIMATOLOGY
EVAPORATION
RIVER DELTAS
WATERS
CLIMATIC VARIABILITY
EMISSIONS SCENARIO
HYDROLOGICAL DATA
AVAILABLE WATER
MUNICIPAL WATER
BENEFITS
ENERGY
REMOTE SENSING
Jeuland, Marc
Harshadeep, Nagaraja
Escurra, Jorge
Blackmore, Don
Sadoff, Claudia
Implications of Climate Change for Water Resources Development in the Ganges Basin
geographic_facet South Asia
South Asia
Bangladesh
India
Nepal
description This paper presents the first basin-wide assessment of the potential impact of climate change on the hydrology and production of the Ganges system, undertaken as part of the World Bank’s Ganges Strategic Basin Assessment. A series of modeling efforts, downscaling of climate projections, water balance calculations, hydrological simulation and economic optimization, inform the assessment. The authors find that projections of precipitation across the basin, obtained from 16 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change-recognized General Circulation Models are highly variable, and lead to considerable differences in predictions of mean flows in the main stem of the Ganges and its tributaries. Despite uncertainties in predicted future flows, they are not, however, outside the range of natural variability in this basin, except perhaps at the tributary or sub-catchment levels. The authors also find that the hydropower potential associated with a set of 23 large dams in Nepal remains high across climate models, largely because annual flow in the tributary rivers greatly exceeds the storage capacities of these projects even in dry scenarios. The additional storage and smoothing of flows provided by these infrastructures translates into enhanced water availability in the dry season, but the relative value of this water for the purposes of irrigation in the Gangetic plain, and for low flow augmentation to Bangladesh under climate change, is unclear.
format Journal Article
author Jeuland, Marc
Harshadeep, Nagaraja
Escurra, Jorge
Blackmore, Don
Sadoff, Claudia
author_facet Jeuland, Marc
Harshadeep, Nagaraja
Escurra, Jorge
Blackmore, Don
Sadoff, Claudia
author_sort Jeuland, Marc
title Implications of Climate Change for Water Resources Development in the Ganges Basin
title_short Implications of Climate Change for Water Resources Development in the Ganges Basin
title_full Implications of Climate Change for Water Resources Development in the Ganges Basin
title_fullStr Implications of Climate Change for Water Resources Development in the Ganges Basin
title_full_unstemmed Implications of Climate Change for Water Resources Development in the Ganges Basin
title_sort implications of climate change for water resources development in the ganges basin
publisher IWA Publishing
publishDate 2016
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2016/03/26048528/implications-climate-change-water-resources-development-ganges-basin
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/24122
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