Climate Change Has Affected Water Resources

In addition, global climate change will exacerbate these challenges faced by countries and populations. Shifting precipitation patterns threaten to reduce water availability in some regions while inflicting stronger storms on others, increasing both potential droughts and floods. This may increase the frequency of more serious

The western prairies provinces (WPP) have an area of two million km2, these regions are the main agricultural and food producing regions in all of Canada (Schindler, 2006). As global warming increases, more water will be used for irrigation for crops. Every year, 2.5 km3 of water is used for irrigation on 1 million acres of land. The water comes from reservoirs and lakes that trap snowmelt run-off from the Rocky Mountains, however only twenty percent of this water is returned to the rivers. The WPP temperatures have increased by 4 degrees since 1970 (Schindler, 2006. Most of the rural areas are not receiving 14-24% of their previous annual precipitation in the 1900’s. The summer flows have decreased 20-84% due to the increased warming through its effects on evapotranspiration and evaporation (Schindler, 2001). Low water flows can cause an escalation of water retention that results in increased nutrient retention, thus proliferating Eutrophication. (Helmer,1999). This imbalance between water evaporation, water usage and water replenishment will create scarce resource for Western Canada’s near future.

Mackenzie River Basin has been steadily warming over the last 3 decades and changes due to global warming are rippling through the entire ecosystem. The indigenous communities that live in the basin and depend on the natural resources are particularly vulnerable to these changes. Some the changes that are detrimental to these communities include the increases in forest fires, increase of permafrost melting and the decrease of water in the basin. The increase

Climate change is evident throughout the world and is a major issue. It is no secret that our planet is getting warmer. Global warming is now recognized in the scientific community as a real problem. There are multiple aspects that are causing this issue. Majority of the warming is caused by greenhouse gases. Volcanic eruptions and changes in the intensity of solar radiation have offset the warming partially. It is estimated that average annual temperatures will increase 3.5°F-9.5°F by the century’s end.

The article “Cold warriors,” Gregoire (2008) indicates that climate change leads to environmental issues and melting ice, and the scientists’ researches point out climatic issues in Canada. The author comes up with a point that everyone is responsible for protecting the environment because people around the world are bearing negative effects due to climate degradation. For example, residents in Grise Fiord and Inuit notice a huge differences, the landscape is becoming warmer, softer and unpredictable. Moreover, a greater risk of environmental pollution is caused by climate change. In addition to changes in environment, shrinking glaciers, earlier ice breakup, later freeze-up and less snow caused by warmer temperature bring double-edged effects

Water is essential to life. It is a vital resource that makes up 70% of the earth’s surface. However, only 3% percent of the earth’s water is freshwater and two-thirds of that freshwater are frozen in glaciers and ice caps, leaving an incomparably small portion available for sustaining earth’s life forms (“How Much Water is in the Ocean?”). Rising surface temperatures, caused by greenhouse gasses that are released when burning fossil fuels, are threatening this water supply by accelerates the rate of water evaporation and limiting precipitation, which leads to droughts and water shortages. Furthermore, earth’s growing population is consuming an increasingly larger fraction of freshwater, which is causing the earth’s natural aquifers to dry up. This global water crisis is especially acute in the western United States where California is experiencing critical drought conditions that are endangering the state’s ability to sustain life. The current California water crisis will ultimately make the state uninhabitable because of several severe, long-term consequences.

In the article “Canada in 2050 looks hotter, wetter, more extreme: experts”, it mentions the climate change likely to occur in Canada if emissions levels remain the same. To be specific, the predicted summertime average is about two degrees, and about five percent wetter. While this slight change seems like no harm, there is now more likelihood of drought or more likelihood of wet periods. These changes will ultimately require large adaptation, especially for farmers as they solely rely on climate to grow and produce crops. In addition, current forests, such as the boreal forest, will likely become brand-new prairies due to the record high amounts of wildfires and dying trees. Along with drought, a rising concern for water source is becoming

This study has found that global annual temperature has been increasing more rapidly than in centuries past. As the temperature rise the evaporation levels rise as well and the amount of precipitation the atmosphere can hold rises. A 1% per year of increasing CO2 concentrations increased temperatures that caused a higher rate of evaporation accumulating in more droughts. (Sheffield & Wood, 2007,

It has been observed through various researches that in the last century, average temperatures across the globe increased by over 1.3°F with an increase of more than two times in the Arctic. (Bates, Kundzewicz, Wu, & Palutikof, June 2008). The results of climate change can also be seen in changing precipitation patterns, increases in ocean temperatures, changes in the sea level, and acidity and melting of glaciers and sea ice (USEPA, 2014).

Climate change is a rising issue of importance in our day and age, and one that is threatening our global society on many levels. In the past few decades, scientists have discovered that our planet’s climate has been changing at an alarming rate. The way in which we have changed the land to

Clean and abundant fresh water is fundamental to human health, the environment and the economy. Canada is a water-rich country and with an estimated 7% of the world’s renewable freshwater supply. overall national freshwater quality is fair and Good. However, due to about 60% of the supply flows northward, while most of the population is located in the southern regions. This change in temperature, rainfall and snowfall can cause water quantities in rivers, lakes and reservoirs rise and fall throughout the year, resulting in flooding or water shortages(Canada, 2015).

Climate change is an issue that is occurring not only in Canada, but all over the world. Climate change has been caused by natural reasons, but due to human activities, it has quickened the process of climate change. Burning of fossil fuels and cutting down trees increases the amount of carbon being emitted, which would be trapped in the ozone. From 1948 to 2013, Canada’s average temperature has increased by 1.6°C. This increase of the average temperature has changed the temperature during winter and spring and will continue to significantly change over the course of many years. Climate change could lead to very severe impacts to different regions. It could cause extreme weather events like droughts, but also heavy rainstorms. Climate

The economic, social, and environmental importance of water resources cannot be overstated. Water is a vital resource, critical for healthy living conditions and sound ecosystems. Drinking water, food production, energy supply, and industrial development are dependent on water availability. (P. G. Whitehead, 2014). So far, the rising demands associated with rapid population growth and economic expansion, global changes place increasing pressure on this fragile and finite resource. This is already evidenced at the sectoral level by unsatisfactory and inadequate supplies, at the national level, by competing demands between sectors, and at the international level, by conflicts or the threat thereof between nations sharing transboundary water resources. The situation is expected to worsen, with a quarter of the world’s population predicted to face severe water scarcity in the next 25 years, even during years of average rainfall (Schiff and winters, 2002). Meanwhile climate change have led to an intensification of the hydrological cycle, resulting in drier dry seasons and wetter rainy seasons, and subsequently heightened risks of more extreme and frequent floods and drought. Many natural systems are being affected by global, regional and local climate change and increased temperature (IPCC, 2014). The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region do stand-in as a water tower of south Asia owed to reside of high concentration of snow and glaciers at the watershed. The melt of snow and

“As more greenhouse gas emissions are released into the air, causing air temperatures to increase, more moisture evaporates from land and lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water. Warmer temperatures also increase evaporation in plant soils, which affects plant life and can reduce rainfall even more. And when rainfall does come to drought-stricken areas, the drier soils it hits are less able to absorb the water, increasing the likelihood of flooding – a lose-lose situation” (The Facts About Climate Change and Drought).

Overview: Tajikistan is one of the world’s vulnerable regions to climate change, specifically to the effects of increase in temperature, change in rainfall patterns, and increase in dryness [1]. Given the country’s high sensitivity to the climate change, there is a higher need for implementing policies and strategies in order to conserve water resources.