Chapter 18
Climatic Change and Water Resources
Abstract This chapter provides estimates and evidence of climate change’s impact
on water resources in China. The chapter provides both observations and estimates
of parameters in the hydrological cycle, including precipitation and water resources.
Recommendations are also provided for managing climate change. Past evidence has
shown that, jointly impacted by human activities and climate change, water resources
have not shifted in humans’ favor. Current water issues are proof that all these changes
have happened. In the future, although precipitation will increase in Northern China,
surface runoff will decrease, which will further worsen the water shortage. Therefore,
all aspects of water resources management, including infrastructure development,
non-structural instruments, water saving, and new water sources development, shall
be strengthened to solve the present water problems and prepare for future changes.
In addition to a multi-adaptive management method, a high climate resilience and
low-regrets development pathway shall be adopted in order to increase resilience and
reduce potential risk.
Keywords Climate change and water resources · Evidence and estimates ·
Hydrological elements and water resources · Countermeasures to climate change
18.1 Introduction
The impact of water resources under climate change is tremendously complicated,
based on the limited knowledge of the regimes of nature and the hydrological cycle.
In general, under current understanding, water resources are jointly affected by the
natural hydrological cycle and human activities through precipitation, runoff and
evaporation changes, water resources management, and so on.
China is a country with a large land area and diverse landscapes and climates.
Due to the increasing demand for water from rapid economic development in the
past 40 years and limited water resources, China is suffering from a water shortage.
The chapter is based on Shen, D. (2010) Climate change and water resources: evidence and estimate
in China. Current Science, 98(8): 1063–1068.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. Shen, Water Resources Management of the People’s Republic of China,
Global Issues in Water Policy 26, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61931-2_18
409
Climatic Change and Water Resources
Abstract This chapter provides estimates and evidence of climate change’s impact
on water resources in China. The chapter provides both observations and estimates
of parameters in the hydrological cycle, including precipitation and water resources.
Recommendations are also provided for managing climate change. Past evidence has
shown that, jointly impacted by human activities and climate change, water resources
have not shifted in humans’ favor. Current water issues are proof that all these changes
have happened. In the future, although precipitation will increase in Northern China,
surface runoff will decrease, which will further worsen the water shortage. Therefore,
all aspects of water resources management, including infrastructure development,
non-structural instruments, water saving, and new water sources development, shall
be strengthened to solve the present water problems and prepare for future changes.
In addition to a multi-adaptive management method, a high climate resilience and
low-regrets development pathway shall be adopted in order to increase resilience and
reduce potential risk.
Keywords Climate change and water resources · Evidence and estimates ·
Hydrological elements and water resources · Countermeasures to climate change
18.1 Introduction
The impact of water resources under climate change is tremendously complicated,
based on the limited knowledge of the regimes of nature and the hydrological cycle.
In general, under current understanding, water resources are jointly affected by the
natural hydrological cycle and human activities through precipitation, runoff and
evaporation changes, water resources management, and so on.
China is a country with a large land area and diverse landscapes and climates.
Due to the increasing demand for water from rapid economic development in the
past 40 years and limited water resources, China is suffering from a water shortage.
The chapter is based on Shen, D. (2010) Climate change and water resources: evidence and estimate
in China. Current Science, 98(8): 1063–1068.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. Shen, Water Resources Management of the People’s Republic of China,
Global Issues in Water Policy 26, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61931-2_18
409