Your search found 7 records
1 Tahir, A. A.; Chevallier, P.; Arnaud, Y.; Ashraf, M.; Bhatti, Muhammad Tousif. 2015. Snow cover trend and hydrological characteristics of the Astore River basin (Western Himalayas) and its comparison to the Hunza basin (Karakoram region) Science of the Total Environment, 505:748-761. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.10.065]
Snow cover ; Glaciers ; Snowmelt ; Hydrological regime ; River basins ; Climatic data ; Meteorological stations ; Satellite observation ; Water resources ; Catchment areas / Pakistan / India / Western Himalayas / Karakoram Region / Indus River Basin / Astore River Basin / Hunza Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046709)
(4.13 MB)
A large proportion of Pakistan's irrigation water supply is taken from the Upper Indus River Basin (UIB) in the Himalaya–Karakoram–Hindukush range. More than half of the annual flow in the UIB is contributed by five of its snow and glacier-fed sub-basins including the Astore (Western Himalaya — south latitude of the UIB) and Hunza (Central Karakoram — north latitude of the UIB) River basins. Studying the snow cover, its spatiotemporal change and the hydrological response of these sub-basins is important so as to better managewater resources. This paper compares new data from the Astore River basin (mean catchment elevation, 4100 m above sea level; m asl afterwards), obtained using MODIS satellite snow cover images, with data from a previouslystudied high-altitude basin, the Hunza (mean catchment elevation, 4650 m asl). The hydrological regime of this sub-catchment was analyzed using the hydrological and climate data available at different altitudes from the basin area. The results suggest that the UIB is a region undergoing a stable or slightly increasing trend of snow cover in the southern (Western Himalayas) and northern (Central Karakoram) parts. Discharge from the UIB is a combination of snow and glacier melt with rainfall-runoff at southern part, but snow and glacier melt are dominant at the northern part of the catchment. Similar snow cover trends (stable or slightly increasing) but different river flow trends (increasing in Astore and decreasing in Hunza) suggest a sub-catchment level study of the UIB to understand thoroughly its hydrological behavior for better flood forecasting and water resources management.
2 Eriyagama, Nishadi; Smakhtin, Vladimir; Jinapala, K. 2016. The Sri Lanka environmental flow calculator: a science-based tool to support sustainable national water management. Water Policy, 18:480-492. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2015.158]
Environmental flows ; Water resources ; Water management ; Water power ; Water allocation ; Sustainability ; Ecological control ; Environmental impact assessment ; River basin development ; Stream flow ; Policy making ; Software ; Hydrological regime / Sri Lanka / Ullapane / Mederipitiya / Mahaweli River
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047276)
http://wp.iwaponline.com/content/ppiwawaterpol/18/2/480.full.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047276.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047276.pdf
(0.44 MB)
As Sri Lankan water resources are being increasingly exploited, particularly for hydropower and irrigation, ecologists, water practitioners and policymakers alike are realizing the importance of protecting these resources and setting environmental sustainability thresholds. Environmental Flows (EF) - the concept that helps define such thresholds – has now become an integral part of environmental impact assessments of river basin development projects. Considering EF is especially vital in the context of the accelerated infrastructure development program, launched after the end of the war in the north and the east of the country in 2009. This paper describes a simple, user-friendly software tool that facilitates quick, first-hand estimation of EF in Sri Lankan rivers. The tool uses ‘natural’ or ‘unregulated’ monthly flow time series, at any river location to construct a flow duration curve that is then modified depending on the desired condition of a river – an environmental management class – to generate an EF time series. The tool includes historical flow records from 158 gauged locations, but users may also feed in (observed/simulated) external data. The paper illustrates the application of the tool at two locations of existing/ planned infrastructure projects and discusses its usefulness as a policy tool.
3 Mukhopadhyay, B.; Khan, A. 2015. A reevaluation of the snowmelt and glacial melt in river flows within Upper Indus Basin and its significance in a changing climate. Journal of Hydrology, 527:119-132. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.04.045]
Climate change ; Glaciers ; Snowmelt ; River basins ; Flow discharge ; Watersheds ; Hydrological regime ; Valuation ; Temperature / Pakistan / Upper Indus Basin / Western Himalayas / Karakoram Mountains / Hindu Kush Region
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047441)
(5.03 MB)
The hydrograph separation method, previously proposed to quantify base flow, seasonal snowmelt, and glacial melt components in river flows within Upper Indus basin underestimates glacial melt component. This is particularly limiting for highly glacierized watersheds. The limitation has been corrected by a further refinement of the method. The results with the refined procedure are highly consistent with the physical characteristics such as hypsometry and glacier extents of the watershed even though the method itself is completely independent of the physical characteristics of the watershed where it is applied. Glacial melt far outweigh snowmelt in the rivers draining the Karakoram and Zanskar ranges. In the Karakoram, on an annualized basis, glacial melt proportion varies from 43% to 50% whereas snowmelt varies from 27% to 31%. On the other hand, snowmelt dominates over glacial melt in the rivers draining the western Greater Himalayas and the Hindu Kush. Here snowmelt percentage in river discharge varies from 31% to 53% whereas that of glacial melt ranges from 16% to 30%. In the main stem of Upper Indus River, snowmelt fraction in most cases is slightly greater than the glacial melt fraction. In the main stem, snowmelt percentage ranges from 35% to 44% whereas glacial melt percentage ranges from 25% to 36%. Upper Indus River just upstream of Tarbela Reservoir carries annual flows constituted of 70% melt water of which 26% is contributed by glacial melts and 44% by snowmelts. We also show that during the later part of twentieth century and continuing into the early part of twenty first century glacial melt contributions to river discharge has decreased compared to the previous decades. This phenomenon can be ascribed to either basin wide loss of glacial mass in the recent decades in the elevation range from where most of the glacial melt originates or glacier growth and stability due to either reduction in energy inputs or increase in precipitation or both at the high altitude bands wherefrom glacial melt water originates.
4 Nepal, S. 2016. Impacts of climate change on the hydrological regime of the Koshi River Basin in the Himalayan region. Journal of Hydro-environment Research, 10:76-89. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jher.2015.12.001]
Climate change ; Hydrological regime ; River basins ; Water balance ; Glaciers ; Snowmelt ; Meltwater ; Runoff ; Discharges ; Precipitation ; Temperature ; Evapotranspiration ; Monsoon climate ; Models ; Forecasting / Nepal / Himalayan Region / Koshi River Basin / Dudh Koshi Subbasin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048027)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1570644315000805/pdfft?md5=1f2ca936f939e2bf8feb7225370227f3&pid=1-s2.0-S1570644315000805-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048027.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048027.pdf
(2.96 MB) (2.96 MB)
Understanding the potential impact of climate change on the hydrological regime in the Himalayan region is of great importance for sustainable water resources management. This study assessed the historic and projected climate trends in the Koshi river basin using statistical analysis. The hydrological characteristics and the contribution of different runoff components under present and projected future conditions were investigated in the Dudh Koshi sub-basin using the J2000 model. Data for 1995 to 2096 from the Providing REgional Climates for Impacts Studies (PRECIS) regional climate model were used in the J2000 model to project the impact of climate change under the A1B climate scenario in mid-century (2040–2050) and late-century (2086–2096), compared to baseline (2000–2010). Present climate showed an increase in average temperature in the river basin at a rate of 0.058 °C/year for maximum temperature and 0.014 °C/year for minimum temperature over the past forty years. The model simulation of the hydrological regime from 1985 to1997 was satisfactory. The average annual contribution of snow and glacier melt to total discharge was about 34%, whereas it was 63% in the pre-monsoon season (March to May). The projected future results from the model indicate a 13% increase in annual discharge by mid-century followed by a slight decrease; and a 16% increase in evapotranspiration by the end of the century. Snowfall is projected to decrease substantially due to the rise in temperature, the basin will lose snow storage capacity, and there will be a marked decrease in snowmelt runoff from non-glaciated areas. In contrast, melt from glaciated areas will increase up to mid-century and start decreasing thereafter. The model results suggest that snowfall pattern, snowmelt, discharge, and evapotranspiration are all sensitive to the effects of climate change.
5 Talukdar, S.; Pal, S. 2017. Impact of dam on inundation regime of flood plain wetland of Punarbhaba River Basin of barind tract of Indo-Bangladesh. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 5(2):109-121. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2017.05.003]
Floodplains ; Wetlands ; Dams ; Flooding ; Water levels ; Water availability ; River basins ; Flow discharge ; Hydrological regime ; Monsoon climate ; Rain ; Satellite imagery ; Landsat ; Ecological factors ; Seasonal variation / India / Bangladesh / Punarbhaba River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048163)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095633917300254/pdfft?md5=584dcd662bb7c4d0a6900bc2cfae0a29&pid=1-s2.0-S2095633917300254-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048163.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H048163.pdf
(4.02 MB) (4.02 MB)
Present study raises a serious issue of wetland loss and transformation due to damming and water diversion. At present study, it is noticed that overall rainfall trend (-0.006) of the study period (1978–2015) remains unchanged but riparian wetland area is attenuated after damming both pre monsoon (March to May) and post monsoon season (October to December). Total wetland area in pre- and postmonsoon seasons is respectively reduced from 42.2 km2 to 27.87 km2 , and from 277.85 km2 to 220.90 km2 in post dam period. Transformation of frequently inundated wetland area into sparsely inundated wetland is mainly triggered by flow modification due to installation of Komardanga dam and Barrage over Punarbhaba and its major tributary Tangon river. Sparsely inundated seasonal wetland area is rapidly reclaimed for agricultural practice. This extreme issue will invite instability in socio-ecological setup of the neighbouring region.
6 Bocchiola, D.; Pelosi, M. G.; Soncini, A. 2017. Effects of hydrological changes on cooperation in transnational catchments: the case of the Syr Darya. Water International, 42(7):852-873. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2017.1376568]
International waters ; Catchment areas ; International cooperation ; Hydrological regime ; Water management ; Climate change ; Water use ; Conflict ; Flow discharge ; Cost benefit analysis ; Profitability ; Statistical methods ; Game theory ; Models ; Probability analysis ; Case studies / Central Asia / Uzbekistan / Kazakhstan / Kyrgyzstan / Syr Darya Catchment / Toktogul Dam
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048381)
(2.31 MB)
Water allocation along the Syr Darya River may be affected by climate change. Here we statistically model cooperation strategies, country profits, and sensitivity of cooperation, showing that the hydrological regime affects transboundary cooperation. Climate change in the twenty-first century may reduce glacial cover, and reducing stream flows, decreasing chances of cooperation and potentially raising conflicts. Comparison with other transboundary catchments in Central Asia indicates moderate-to-high risk of conflicts for the Syr Darya. A template is provided for assessment of the stability of cooperation in the Syr Darya basin, and in catchments similarly dependent on water availability.
7 Dahri, Z. H.; Ludwig, F.; Moors, E.; Ahmad, S.; Ahmad, B.; Ahmad, S.; Riaz, M.; Kabat, P. 2021. Climate change and hydrological regime of the high-altitude Indus Basin under extreme climate scenarios. Science of the Total Environment, 768:144467. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144467]
Climate change ; Hydrological regime ; Precipitation ; Air temperature ; River basins ; Hydrometeorology ; Flow discharge ; Forecasting ; Water availability ; Glaciers ; Snow ; Models ; Uncertainty / Pakistan / India / Afghanistan / Indus Basin / Kabul River / Jhelum River / Chenab River / Karakoram Region / Hindukush Region / Himalayan Region / Kharmong Region
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050278)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720379985/pdfft?md5=10d2860b7d17b30bdc1e6796a0020e92&pid=1-s2.0-S0048969720379985-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050278.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050278.pdf
(6.91 MB) (6.91 MB)
Climate change is recognized as one of the greatest challenges of 21st century. This study investigated climate and hydrological regimes of the high-altitude Indus basin for the historical period and extreme scenarios of future climate during 21st century. Improved datasets of precipitation and temperature were developed and forced to a fully-distributed physically-based energy-balance Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrological model to simulate the water balance at regional and sub-basin scale. Relative to historical baseline, the results revealed highly contrasting signals of climate and hydrological regime changes. Against an increase of 0.6 °C during the last 40 years, the median annual air temperature is projected to increase further between 0.8 and 5.7 °C by the end of 21st century. Similarly, a decline of 11.9% in annual precipitation is recorded, but future projections are highly conflicting and spatially variable. The Karakoram region is anticipated to receive more precipitation, while SW-Hindukush and parts of W-Himalayan region may experience decline in precipitation. The Model for Interdisciplinary Research On Climate version-5 (MIROC5) generally shows increases, while Max Planck Institute Earth System Model at base resolution (MPI-ESM-LR) indicates decreases in precipitation and river inflows under three Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) of 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5. Indus-Tarbela inflows are more likely to increase compared to Kabul, Jhelum and Chenab river inflows. Substantial increase in the magnitudes of peak flows and one-month earlier attainment is projected for all river gauges. High flows are anticipated to increase under most scenarios, while low flows may decrease for MPI-ESM-LR in Jhelum, Chenab and Kabul river basins. Hence, hydrological extremes are likely to be intensified. Critical modifications in the strategies and action plans for hydropower generation, construction and operation of storage reservoirs, irrigation withdrawals, flood control and drought management will be required to optimally manage water resources in the basin.
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