The Impacts of Climate Change on the Hydrological Process and Water Quality in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China

Abstract

With the intensification of climate change, understanding the impacts of climate change on the water cycle is vital for integrated watershed management. Based on the precipitation and temperature data from 1980 to 2018, the climatic change characteristics of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area were analyzed. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to simulate the spatial and temporal distribution of runoff and water quality. The result indicated that precipitation showed clear inter-annual fluctuation, and the maximum and minimum temperatures showed an increasing trend with rates of 0.38 °C/10a and 0.29 °C/10a, respectively. The moving averages revealed that the annual averages of runoff, total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) loads showed a decreasing trend followed by an increasing trend, which experienced strong inter-annual fluctuations. The hydrological processes changed significantly at different spatial scales, and the most affected area was the middle and head of reservoir area. The highest correlation was found between precipitation and runoff (0.91), followed by TP (0.81), and TN (0.60), while extreme precipitation could result in a high probability of water pollution events. These findings provide useful information to support the utilization of water resources, especially in the face of strong climate change impacts.

Multifaceted Linkages among Eco-Climatic Factors, Plankton Abundance, and Gonadal Maturation of Hilsa Shad, Tenualosa ilisha, Populations in Bangladesh

“…Higher levels of rainfall can result in lower salinity levels, whereas lower levels of rainfall can lead to higher salinity levels [62,63]. High humidity indirectly impacts water quality by influencing the hydrological cycle, resulting in increased precipitation and the influx of water into water bodies [64,65].…”

Estimating Climate Change’s Impacts on the Recharge of an Ungauged Tropical Aquifer (Togolese Coastal Sedimentary Basin)

“…Finally, also due to climate change, pollution and the degradation of the quality of water resources from anthropogenic activities are accentuated [4,[27][28][29]. This is why climate change is on the political agenda at the national and international levels [1], and also because regional adaptation strategies rely on water resources [30][31][32][33][34]. Assessments of the impacts of climate change on water resources have, therefore, become essential, with those concerning groundwater being even more essential because they represent approximately 98% of global freshwater resources [4,35].…”

“…Studies on the impacts of climate change on groundwater have multiplied in recent years, and they often focus on the evolution of recharge [4]. This is because precipitation and temperature determine the availability and movement of water in the environment, which, in turn, influences groundwater recharge rates [31]. It is then useful for authorities to know about the trends in groundwater recharge over time and space so they can make appropriate arrangements and develop effective water resources management plans [31,[36][37][38].…”