Changes in the world rivers’ discharge projected from an updated high resolution dataset of current and future climate zones

Abstract

Summary In this paper, an updated global map of the current climate zoning and of its projections, according to the Koppen–Geiger classification, is first provided. The map at high horizontal resolution (0.5° × 0.5°), representative of the current (i.e. 1961–2005) conditions, is based on the Climate Research Unit dataset holding gridded series of historical observed temperature and precipitation, while projected conditions rely on the simulated series, for the same variables, by the General Circulation Model CMCC-CM. Modeled variables were corrected for their bias and then projections of climate zoning were generated for the medium term (2006–2050) and long term (2056–2100) future periods, under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 emission scenarios. Results show that Equatorial and Arid climates will spread at the expenses of Snow and Polar climates, with the Warm Temperate experiencing more moderate increase. Maps of climate zones are valuable for a wide range of studies on climate change and its impacts, especially those regarding the water cycle that is strongly regulated by the combined conditions of precipitation and temperature. As example of large scale hydrological applications, in this work we tested and implemented a spatial statistical procedure, the geographically weighted regression among climate zones’ surface and mean annual discharge (MAD) at hydrographic basin level, to quantify likely changes in MAD for the main world rivers monitored through the Global Runoff Data Center database. The selected river basins are representative of more than half of both global superficial freshwater resources and world’s land area. Globally, a decrease in MAD is projected both in the medium term and long term, while spatial differences highlight how some areas require efforts to avoid consequences of amplified water scarcity, while other areas call for strategies to take the opportunity from the expected increase in water availability. Also the fluctuations of trends between the medium to long term time frames is viewed in order to pay attention to the lifespan of investments and decisions. Despite preliminary and illustrative, this study suggests how large scale valuable information can be extracted even through indicators derived from statistical spatial modeling procedures, without the pretention to replace more sophisticated studies that allow process based reproduction of inter-annual and intra-annual discharge variability, and on which a robust and comprehensive assessment of future water resource reliability should be however also based.