Climate Change Hydrology and Water Resources Impacts and Adaptation for Selected River Basins in the Czech Republic

Abstract

In terms of climate, the Czech Republic belongs to the northern hemisphere Atlantic-contin ental type of moderate clim ate. M ean annual temperature ranges between 1.0 and 9.4 C (for summer between 8.8 C and 18.5 C, and for winter between - 6.8 and 0.2 C). Annual precipitation ranges between 450 mm in dry regions and 1300 m m in mountainous regions of the country. With its 2000 m 3 per capita fresh water availability, the Czech Republic is a region that can be characterized as slightly below average in availability. The occasional water shortages usually do n ot result from unavailability of water, but rather from temporal or spatial variability of water supply and demand and a high degree of water resources exploitation. To study poten tial im pacts of climate change on the hydrological system and water resources, four river basins have been selected in the territory of the Czech Republic: the Elbe River at De c i n (50762 km 2), the Zelivka River at Soutice (1189 km 2), the Upa River at Ceska Skalice (461 km 2), and the M etuje River at M ars ov n. M . (94 km 2). To simulate poten tial changes in runoff, three hydrological models have been applied using in cremental and GCM (GISS, GFDL and CCCM ) scenarios: the BILAN water balance model, the SACRAM ENTO (SAC-SM A) conceptual model and the CLIRU N water balance m odel. After comparison of the results, the BILAN m odel was selected to serve for subsequent analyses of hydrological systems in the river basins. The paper reviews methods applied in the study and results of the assessments, and it concludes with suggestions for general adaptation policy options where the preference is for non-structural measures such as water conservation, efficient water dem and management and protection of water resources.