Warning level (in swedish) 2, SwedenAccording to the future scenarios from global and regional climate models, the climate change will profoundly affect hydrological processes at different scales in time and space. Hydrological climate effect studies play a key role for analysis and planning within a range of fundamental societal functions such as water and energy supply, security and environment. Effect studies are however limited by different properties of today´s climate models such as the low spatial resolution and various systematical errors and uncertainties.
In the proposed project a new generation of hydrological climate change impact studies will be made possible by
- developing methodology for improving the link between Regional Climate Models and hydrological assessments in effect studies of different characters and scales
- quantifying the magnitude of the improvements for a variety of hydrological processes
- formulating guidelines for optimal prodecures in specific types of effect studies, with respect to scientific soundness as well as cost-effectiveness
- illustrating the usefulness of the new methods in pilot sites for assessments focused on e.g. flooding, pollutant leaching, nutrient transport and shift in hydrological regimes
- quantifying and mapping climate change effects on the fresh-water hydrosphere in Sweden and Europe
Results will be distributed through scientific publication and a database on the internet with free access for visualisation and downloading. The figure below illustrates the contents of and coupling between the work packages.
Period: 2010-2014
Financing: FORMAS
Responsible at SMHI hydrology: Jonas Olsson
Partners: Lunds University, Luleå Technical University