How does climate change affect water resource planning?
1 Answer
Climate change affects water resource planning in a variety of ways.
Explanation:
Climate change affects water resource planning in a variety of ways. Because the effects of climate change are not uniform across the planet, some areas may experience a decrease in water resources or an increase and it is hard to predict these changes in many instances.
For example, regions that rely on glacial runoff for water during the summer will need to plan for an alternative source of water if their glaciers melt and disappear. This problem is happening in the Andes in South America, for example. You can learn more about it here.
Some areas are expected to see rising sea levels, and this increase in sea level can translate to an inundation of salt water in freshwater areas. Salt water permeates more of the groundwater, leaving less for drinking.
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This is a concern for those living in parts of Florida. You can read more about this case here.
Some regions are expected to see more frequent and longer lasting droughts whereas other areas should see more precipitation. Southern Europe is expected to see more droughts, as will the Middle East, but interestingly plants are predicted to conserve water to the extent that the effects of drought will not be as serve in the Middle East (see here).
Thus, different regions will have different plans for their water resources. Some places will be more affected than others and the manner in which they will be affected is dependent on what the effects of climate change will look like locally.
