Past and future changes toward earlier timing of streamflow over Pakistan from bias-corrected regional climate projections (1962–2099)

Abstract

Pakistan has experienced seasonal changes of streamflow, causing a lack of available water resources for agriculture. However, understanding of future seasonal changes of streamflow over Pakistan remains limited. This study assessed the past and future changes in streamflow timing along the four major rivers of Pakistan (Upper Indus, Kabul, Jhelum, and Chenab River basins), using observational data and bias-corrected hydrological projections. Firstly, the VIC-river routing model was simulated forced by simulated daily surface and base runoff data from six CORDEX-South Asia regional climate models (1962–2099). Secondly, the minimum and seasonality bias in simulated daily streamflow data were corrected based on observational records. To quantify seasonal changes of the hydrologic regime, half of annual cumulative streamflows (HCSs) and center-of-volume dates (CVDs) were computed from observed and bias-corrected simulated streamflow data. Over 1962–2019, observational records showed a significant decreasing trend in CVD (that is, an earlier onset of the wet season) by a range between −4.5 and −12.6 days across the three river basins, except for Chenab River basin. Bias-corrected hydrologic projections showed decreased CVD across the four study river basins by −4.2 to −6.3 days during the record period (1962–2019). The decreased CVDs ranges from −5 to −20 days in the near future (the 2050–2059 average) and −11 days to −37 days in the far future (the 2090–2099 average). This study reported diverse hydrologic responses to a similar magnitude of near-surface temperature in Pakistan, highlighting a need to develop basin-specific water resources mamangement and policies for climate change adaptation.