The Changing Climate and its Impact on Water

“Climate crisis” Could Affect Water Systems in Various Ways

Climate change is viewed by many as a worldwide threat. Just this month, nearly 200 world leaders gathered for a summit in Paris, France, and announced an agreement to address the problem. In a CNN article, U.S. President Barack Obama called the situation a “climate crisis” and said, “I believe this moment can be a turning point for the world.”

One of the biggest concerns connected with climate change is how increased temperatures across the globe impacts water supply.

That is the focus of a paper authored by Yang Xie, and a team of researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, entitled “Technological Portfolio Approach to Address Changing Climate and its Impact on Water.”

Xie examines the multiple ways a changing climate could affect water systems such as uncertainty of precipitation, reduced snowpack, intensified evaporation, and change in water demand.

“Climate change doesn’t mean that we will definitely need more dams or more conservation projects,” Xie said. “Much less or much more uncertain precipitation could make large dams useless, while a little less or a little more uncertain precipitation could make water storage expansions more desirable.”

Which parts of the country could feel the biggest impact? Xie addresses this and much more during an AAEA session of the 2016 Allied Social Sciences Association Annual Meeting (ASSA) in San Francisco, California, January 3-5.

The session will be held Sunday, January 3, at 8:00 a.m. (PST) at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis (Room Sierra C).

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Contact: Allison Scheetz
Senior Communications Manager
(414) 918-3190
Email: ascheetz@aaea.org