426
18 Climatic Change and Water Resources
control, strengthen water pollution control, and manage groundwater exploitation to
prevent seawater introduction and sea-level rises.
18.6 Summary
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.
It is difficult to define climate change’s impact on water resources with certainty. It
is even more difficult to compare the results in China with more developed countries
because China is experiencing such fast development not only economically, but also
in terms of land use and natural resources use.
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.
Facing these water challenges in China—whether they result from climate change
or not—is a critical problem for China in order to realize sustainable water resources
development and support sustainable social and economic development. 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.
References
Cao, J., et al. (2005). Runoff changes in out-to-sea riverbasin in Tibetan Plateau. Chinese Science
Bulletin, 50(21), 2403–2408.
Cao, L., et al. (2008). Climate change and its impact on water resources in North Xinjiang. Water
Resources Protection, 24(6), 28–35.
Cao, L., et al. (2009). Climate change and its relationship with water resources in Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region from 1951 to 2006. Journal of Hohai University (Natural Sciences), 37(3),
281–283.
Chen, Y., et al. (2005). Spatial and temporal variation of precipitation over ten major basins in China
between 1956 and 2000. Journal of Natural Resources, 20(5), 637–643.
Chen, H., et al. (2006). Temporal and spatial trend in the precipitation and temperature from 1951
to 2003 in the Hanjiang Baisn. Resources and environment in the Yangtze Basin, 15(3), 340–345.
Chen, J., et al. (2019). Spatiotemporal variation of precipitation in China and its impact on surface
dry-wet conditions during 1961–2010. Journal of Natural Resources, 34(11), 2440–2453.
18 Climatic Change and Water Resources
control, strengthen water pollution control, and manage groundwater exploitation to
prevent seawater introduction and sea-level rises.
18.6 Summary
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.
It is difficult to define climate change’s impact on water resources with certainty. It
is even more difficult to compare the results in China with more developed countries
because China is experiencing such fast development not only economically, but also
in terms of land use and natural resources use.
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.
Facing these water challenges in China—whether they result from climate change
or not—is a critical problem for China in order to realize sustainable water resources
development and support sustainable social and economic development. 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.
References
Cao, J., et al. (2005). Runoff changes in out-to-sea riverbasin in Tibetan Plateau. Chinese Science
Bulletin, 50(21), 2403–2408.
Cao, L., et al. (2008). Climate change and its impact on water resources in North Xinjiang. Water
Resources Protection, 24(6), 28–35.
Cao, L., et al. (2009). Climate change and its relationship with water resources in Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region from 1951 to 2006. Journal of Hohai University (Natural Sciences), 37(3),
281–283.
Chen, Y., et al. (2005). Spatial and temporal variation of precipitation over ten major basins in China
between 1956 and 2000. Journal of Natural Resources, 20(5), 637–643.
Chen, H., et al. (2006). Temporal and spatial trend in the precipitation and temperature from 1951
to 2003 in the Hanjiang Baisn. Resources and environment in the Yangtze Basin, 15(3), 340–345.
Chen, J., et al. (2019). Spatiotemporal variation of precipitation in China and its impact on surface
dry-wet conditions during 1961–2010. Journal of Natural Resources, 34(11), 2440–2453.