MODELLING THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON WATER RESOURCES (HB 2010)

The quantitative assessment of the impact of climate change on water availability and water resources management requires knowledge of climate, hydro(geo)logical and water resources models, and particularly the relationships between each of them. This book brings together world experts on each of these aspects, distilling each complex topic into concise and easy to understand chapters, in which both the uses and limitations of modelling are explored. The book concludes with a set of case studies using real-life examples to illustrate the steps required and the problems that can be faced in assessing the potential impacts of climate change on water resource systems.

For students, scientists, engineers and decision-makers alike, this book provides an invaluable and critical look at the information that is provided by climate models, and the ways it is used in modelling water systems. A key focus is the exploration of how uncertainties may accrue at each stage of an impacts assessment, and the reliability of the resulting information. The book is a practical guide to understanding the opportunities and pitfalls in the quantitative assessment of climate change impacts and adaptation in the water resource sector.

Fai Fung is a researcher at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and a lecturer on the MSc Water Science, Policy and Management at the School of Geography, University of Oxford.  His main expertise is in hydrological modelling with respect to water resources and aquatic ecosystems with a particular focus on the assessment of impacts of climate change.

Ana Lopez is a researcher at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics. Her research focuses on the suitability of climate modelling information to quantify climate change impacts and to inform adaptation decision making.

Mark New works on climate change and impacts on water resources in a range of locations, with particular focus on quantification of uncertainty in climate projections for regional and local impacts assessment and adaptation, and on robust approaches to decision-making under uncertainty.