A Review of Models for Evaluation of Climate Change Impact on Water Resources

Abstract

The use of models to simulate or predict impact of climate change on water resources management is very vital due to continual increase in global warming which invariably affects most important natural resources in the environment. This paper provides an overview of the existing models used for evaluating climate change impact on water resources management. It also compares their relative advantages and drawbacks. It was found that no model can perform satisfactorily the assessment of climate change impact; hence it may be necessary to use one model to compliment the weakness of another. Global Circulation Model (GCM) is not easily accessible in developing countries due to sophistications and processes involved in running it. Moreso, the nature of available data and cost of acquiring it is high. The main advantage of Water Balance (WATBAL) model is that it can model climate change impact in water resources but its major drawback is that it requires many inputs of hydro-meteorological parameters. Regression and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models are readily available and not too expensive. They can model climate change impact on water resources and hydropower operation. However, the drawback is that enormous data are required for ANN model calibration and operation. It is imperative therefore to anticipate and efficiently prepare for future water resources management and suggest necessary measures to mitigate the effect of climate change.