Water Resources Management Planning Research Articles

Quantifying the impact of climate variables on reference evapotranspiration in Pearl River Basin, China

ABSTRACTThe impact of climate variables on monthly reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is a critical issue in water resources management and irrigation planning. The spatio-temporal contribution of climate variables to ETo in the Pearl River Basin (PRB), China, from 1960 to 2016 were calculated based on sensitivity and relative change of each climatic variable. The results show that annual ETo total decreased by 1.64% and diminished in magnitude from the southeast to the northwest. Sunshine duration, wind speed and relative humidity decreased by 15.5%, 7.4%, and 4.0%, respectively, while average temperature increased by 4.25%. The ETo showed a positive sensitivity to all variables except relative humidity, which showed a negative sensitivity. Sunshine duration had the highest contribution of −4.26%, and the overall decrease in ETo was mainly caused by the declines in sunshine duration and wind speed, which offset the positive impact of rises in average temperature and reduction in relative humidity.

Did water diversion projects lead to sustainable ecological restoration in arid endorheic basins? Lessons from long-term changes of multiple ecosystem indicators in the lower Heihe River Basin

Ecological water diversion projects (EWDPs) are crucial for dryland ecosystem restoration in arid endorheic basins. Comprehensive and in-depth evaluations of ecological effects and especially the potential risks of EWDPs on long-term ecosystem changes were limited in previous studies. In this study, spatio-temporal variations in multiple indicators (land use/cover, landscape pattern and vegetation cover) derived from Landsat images were integrated to detect ecosystem changes from 1990 to 2015 in the lower Heihe River Basin (HRB), China, where an EWDP was conducted by the Chinese government in 2000. The results showed that the EWDP prevented ecological degradation and effectively restored the arid oasis ecosystem. From 2000 to 2010, the transformation from unused land to natural vegetation and wetlands, was the major land use/cover change; the degree of landscape fragmentation decreased, and the regional normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) increased significantly. However, the EWDP did not restore the ecosystem to the status in 1990, and some vegetation degradation occurred after 2010, with approximately 38% of the study area showing significant decrease in NDVI. Human interventions, especially overexpansion of cultivated oases, which restricted ecological water use, and construction of artificial canals, which reduced groundwater recharge, resulted in the browning trend from 2010 to 2015. Therefore, the EWDPs did not definitely lead to sustainable ecological restoration and ecosystem development. The quantification results can provide significant implications for water resources management and ecosystem planning to prevent ecological degradation in the study area. The multi-indicator method with long-term and high-resolution dataset used here can be adapted to other arid regions for comprehensively evaluating the ecological restoration ability of the EWDP.

Effects of apple orchards converted from farmlands on soil water balance in the deep loess deposits based on HYDRUS-1D model

Land use change (LUC) impacts on the soil water balance is important for effective water resources management and land use planning. The Loess Plateau of China has loess deposits up to 350-m depth and constitutes large reservoirs of soil water storage. In recent decades, areas within these reservoirs have been depleted of their water storage. LUC impacts on soil water storage have been previously investigated in this region; however, LUC impacts on other components of soil water balance such as evapotranspiration and deep drainage have received limited study because of difficulties in direct measurement of these components. Using continuously monitored 10-m soil water profiles under farmland and apple orchards converted from farmlands for 10, 20, and 30 years for the period 2011−2013, the HYDRUS-1D model was calibrated and then employed to evaluate long-term LUC impacts on different components of the soil water balance in a typical loess tableland based on climate data for the period 1960−2013. Compared with farmlands and young apple orchards (stand age <10 years), the measured soil water storage under mature apple orchards (stand age> 20 years) was significantly decreased over time. The simulated deep drainage was 12.1 mm year−1 under farmland and accounted for 2% of the annual average precipitation, but this value was reduced to near zero under mature apple orchards. The simulated average annual actual evapotranspiration was 565.8 mm and represented 98% of the average annual precipitation under farmlands, but the evapotranspiration was increased under mature apple orchards. The LUC-induced decrease in soil water storage and groundwater recharge threatens the sustainability of water resources and agriculture on the Loess Plateau. The balance between economic development and agriculture ecosystems and environmental sustainability are, therefore, important considerations in future land use planning.

Future precipitation changes over Panama projected with the atmospheric global model MRI-AGCM3.2

Future change in precipitation over Panama was investigated with 20-km and 60-km mesh global atmospheric models. The present-day climate simulations were conducted for 21 years from 1983 through 2003, driving models by observed historical sea surface temperatures (SST). The future climate simulations were conducted for 21 years from 2079 through 2099, driving models by future SST distributions projected by the Atmosphere–Ocean General Circulation Models that participated in the Fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. The uncertainty of future precipitation change was evaluated by ensemble simulations giving four different SST patterns and three different cumulus convection schemes. In the future, precipitation increases over the central and eastern part of Panama from May to November corresponding to the rainy season. Uncertainty of future precipitation change depends on cumulus convection schemes rather than SST distributions. Increase of precipitation over most regions can be attributed to the increase of water vapor transport originated in the Caribbean Sea which converges over Panama. Precipitation averaged over the Panama canal, the Gatun lake and related river basin (79.0°–80.5°W, 8.5°–9.5°N) will increase during most of the rainy season persisting from May to October, while precipitation in dry season persisting from December to April does not change in the future. Intense precipitation increases, but the possibility of drought increases. These results suggest that the planning of water resource management for the Panama canal may require some modifications in the future.

Extended-Range Runoff Forecasting Using a One-Way Coupled Climate–Hydrological Model: Case Studies of the Yiluo and Beijiang Rivers in China

Extended-range runoff forecasting is important for water resources management and energy planning. Experimental extended-range runoff was hindcasted, based on an extended-range climate model, developed by National Climate Center of the China Meteorological Administration, and semi-distributed hydrological model HBV-D. The skill of the runoff forecasts was explored using mean square skill score (MSSS), anomaly correlation coefficient (ACC), and areas under the relative operating characteristics curve (AUC) for three terciles for three experimental 51-day periods during flood season (June 1 to July 21, July 1 to August 20 and August 1 to September 20) for two rivers in China. The results revealed decreasing trends of the five indices, and varying length of the continuous longest skilful time slice from 3 days to 6 weeks depending on index, period and river location. In most cases, skilful abnormal terciles forecast occurred more often or with similar frequency to deterministic forecasts. It suggests that ensemble probability forecasting is a method with potential for extended-range river runoff forecast. Further, abnormal terciles are more skillful than normal terciles, and above normal are more skillful than below normal. In terms of a temporal mean of the MSSS and ACC, deterministic forecasts are skillful for both rivers in all three periods, but more skillful for the Beijiang River than for the Yiluo River in most cases.

Identification of the Space-Time Variability of Hydrological Drought in the Arid Region of Northwestern China

Drought monitoring is crucial to water resource management and strategic planning. Thus, the objective of this study is to identify the space-time variability of hydrological drought across the broad arid region of northwestern China. Seven distributions were applied to fitting monthly streamflow records of 16 gauging stations from 10 rivers. Finally, the general logistic distribution was selected as the most appropriate one to compute the Standardized Streamflow Index (SSI). The severity and duration of hydrological droughts were also captured from the SSI series. Moreover, we investigate the relationship between hydrological drought (SSI) and meteorological drought (Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI)) at different time scales. The results show that drought duration and severity decreased over time in the Aibihu, Irtysh, Kaidu, Aksu, Yarkand, Hoton, Shule, Heihe (upstream), and Shiyang Rivers. However, the Tarim (upstream) and Heihe (middle stream) Rivers showed increasing drought duration and severity and this can be attributed to recent decades human activities. Furthermore, two correlation coefficient patterns between SSI and SPEI were found for the rivers of interest, an “increasing-decreasing” pattern for the Irtysh, Heihe, and Shiyang Rivers, where the precipitation is the main runoff supply, and an “increasing-stable” pattern for Aibihu and the Kaidu, Aksu, Yarkand, Hotan, and Shule Rivers, where glacier melt water provided a relatively high supply of runoff. Our findings are a contribution towards implementing effective water resources evaluation and planning in this arid region.

Development of Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan using SWOT Model

Development of Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan using SWOT Model

Risk‐based water resources planning in practice: a blueprint for the water industry in England

AbstractResilient water supplies in England need to be secured in the face of challenges of population growth, climate change and environmental sustainability. We propose a blueprint for water resources planning that uses system simulation modelling to estimate the frequency, duration and severity of water shortages at present and in the context of future plans and scenarios. We use multiobjective optimisation tools to explore trade‐offs between these risk metrics and cost of alternative plans, and we use sensitivity analysis to identify plans that robustly achieve targets for tolerable risk, alongside other performance objectives. The results of a case study in the Thames basin demonstrate that the proposed methodology is feasible given commonly available data sets and models. The proposed method provides evidence with which to develop water resource management plans that demonstrably balance the risks of water shortages, costs to water users and environmental constraints in an uncertain future.

Attribution analysis of actual and potential evapotranspiration changes based on the complementary relationship theory in the Huai River basin of eastern China

Accurate terrestrial evapotranspiration (ET) estimation and understanding the causes of ET variation are essential for water resource management and irrigation planning. In this research, the complementary relationship (CR) between actual evapotranspiration (ETa) and potential evapotranspiration (ETp) was evaluated. An Advection–Aridity (AA) model was calibrated and validated using eddy covariance measurements. The spatiotemporal variations of ETa, ETp and associated meteorological variables were examined through Mann–Kendall (MK) testing and Theil–Sen's estimator, using daily weather data from 137 meteorological stations in Huai River basin (HRB) during 1961–2014. Moreover, the influences of meteorological factors on ETa and ETp were quantified by the differential equation method. The results indicate that CR theory is applicable in the HRB and the calibrated AA model can simulate the ETa well. ETa exhibited a significant increasing trend before 1990 and then decreased significantly. However, ETp decreased significantly before 1990 and then declined slightly. During 1961–1990, except for significant increasing relative humidity (RH), other meteorological variables exhibited decreasing trends. The aerodynamic component dominated ETa and ETp trends in general. The wind speed at 2‐m height (u2) dominated ETa trends except for summer and growing season and ETp trends except for summer, when the dominant factor is net radiation (R n). During 1991–2014, mean temperature (T a) and RH showed distinct increasing and decreasing trends, respectively, whereas significant decline in u2 palpably slowed. The absolute value of the radiative component was larger than that of the aerodynamic one. The dominant factor of ETa trends shifted from u2 to RH in spring and to R n in autumn, winter and annual timescales. Moreover, the dominant factor of ETp trends changed from u2 to RH in spring, winter and annual timescales and to R n in growing season and autumn. R n always played a pivotal role in both ETa and ETp trends in summer.

A study of the changing climate in the US‐Affiliated Pacific Islands using observations and CMIP5 model output

This exploratory research examines the impacts of changing climate on the vulnerable US‐Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) from the perspective of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) coupled with General Circulation Models (GCMs). Island‐wide projections of future climate change (e.g. temperature, rainfall, and net water flux) were made using the latest IPCC AR5 GCMs protocol (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase—CMIP5) with 38 GCMs with up to 105 model runs. A review was also made of studies on model‐based future projections of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The CMIP5 model's results clearly illustrate that the past trend in temperature (1950–2017) is rising while the rainfall trend remains more or less static. It is also clear from the projections that the long‐term trend for temperature rise is fast and significant, while the trend for rainfall and net water flux (P‐E) rise appears to be slow and marginal. On the perspective of CMIP5 model's evaluation for the USAPI region, the temperature projections are found to be promising, while the rainfall projection potentials, despite some limitations, are also encouraging. The prime concerns for future disruptions in the USAPI region are the consequences of increasing frequency of the ENSO and related rainfall activities. The long‐term warming signal may further complicate the problem. Therefore, the currently water‐stressed islands and low‐lying atolls in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and Republic of Marshalls Islands (RMI) are particularly vulnerable to El Niño‐related heat stress or drought and La Niña‐related inundations or flooding. In both cases, the future demand‐oriented climate‐sensitive water resources sector will be severely affected. A climate‐information‐based comprehensive water resources management plan (for the 2030s) is therefore essential with more detailed ENSO‐related climate information and impacts in terms people can understand and respond to.

Water Resources Management of Lake Tondano in North Sulawesi Province

Lake Tondano is a lake that is used for various purposes. On the other hand, this lake is a source of germplasm, a site where life cycle of important flora and fauna takes place, and water source that isused for agriculture, livestock production, home industry, and domestic use. Water from Lake Tondano also produces energy through hydropower plant and maintain microclimate. Therefore, lake Tondano is experiencing problems as indicated by the fast growth and wide distribution of water hyacinth that can have a negative impact for the lake itself. The objectives of this research were to identify problems caused by the spread of water hyacinth and to identify water resources management plan for Lake Tondano preservation. This study used primary datasuch as concentration of nitrat, nitrit, and ammonia in lake Tondano, nitrogen ballance in inlet and outlet of the lake Tondano and flow rate of river Leleko and river Panasen, including map or spatial data of Lake Tondano (secondary data) which describe the extent of cover and distribution of water hyacinth in the lake, the negative impact of water hyacinth distribution in the lake, and the utilization of water hyacinth. Secondary data was also used and obtained from various related institutions as well as from the community and other stakeholders. The results show that 88.17% - 99.83% of the lake area was covered by water hyacinth. The biomass growth rate was 9.78-13.39 kg within 7 weeks (Tampi, 2001). Data from BAPPEDA of North Sulawesi province shows that the extent of water hyacinth spread in Lake Tondano in 2014 had reached 277 ha or 5.92% of the lake area. The management of the lake can be performed by controlling the growth of water hyacinth through the utilization of water hyacinth systematically and structurally so that it directly controls the rate of increasing covered area by water hyacinth. Water hyacinth can be utilized as raw material to produce various economic value products, such as organic fertilizer and biogas.

Hydrological Responses to Climate and Land Use Changes in a Watershed of the Loess Plateau, China

This study researched the individual and combined impacts of future LULC and climate changes on water balance in the upper reaches of the Beiluo River basin on the Loess Plateau of China, using the scenarios of RCP4.5 and 8.5 of the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The climate data indicated that both precipitation and temperature increased at seasonal and annual scales from 2020 to 2050 under RCP4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. The future land use changes were predicted through the CA-Markov model. The land use predictions of 2025, 2035, and 2045 indicated rising forest areas with decreased agricultural land and grassland. In this study, three scenarios including only LULC change, only climate change, and combined climate and LULC change were established. The SWAT model was calibrated, validated, and used to simulate the water balance under the three scenarios. The results showed that increased rainfall and temperature may lead to increased runoff, water yield, and ET in spring, summer, and autumn and to decreased runoff, water yield, and ET in winter from 2020 to 2050. However, LULC change, compared with climate change, may have a smaller impact on the water balance. On an annual scale, runoff and water yield may gradually decrease, but ET may increase. The combined effects of both LULC and climate changes on water balance in the future were similar to the variation trend of climate changes alone at both annual and seasonal scales. The results obtained in this study provide further insight into the availability of future streamflow and can aid in water resource management planning in the study area.

UAVs for Hydrologic Scopes: Application of a Low-Cost UAV to Estimate Surface Water Velocity by Using Three Different Image-Based Methods

Stream velocity and flow are very important parameters that must be measured accurately to develop effective water resource management plans. There are various methods and tools to measure the velocity but, nowadays, image-based methods are a promising alternative that does not require physical contact with the water body. The current study describes the application of a low cost unmanned aerial vehicle that was selected in order to capture a video over a specific reach of Aggitis River in Greece. The captured frames were analyzed by three different software (PIVlab, PTVlab, and KU-STIV) in order to estimate accurately the surface water velocity. These three software also represent three different image-based methodologies. Although there are differences among these three methods, the analysis produced similar trends for all. The velocity ranged between 0.02 and 3.98 m/s for PIVlab, 0.12 and 3.44 m/s for PTVlab, and 0.04 and 3.99 m/s for KU-STIV software. There were parts, especially in the existing vegetation, where differences were observed. Further applications will be examined in the same or different reaches, to study the parameters affecting the analysis. Finally, the image-based methods will be coupled with verification measurements by a current meter to produce more rigorous results.

Collaborative governance or private policy making? When consultants matter more than participation in collaborative environmental planning

ABSTRACTThe study of collaborative governance constitutes an established sub-literature within environmental policy and management scholarship. Among the lessons of this literature is that collaborative planning outputs are shaped by the mix of collaborative participants in question and the commitment participants exhibit towards joint planning efforts. This paper argues that a focus on the composition and commitment of collaborative participants ignores an increasingly prevalent actor in environmental planning – private sector contract consultants. We examine the relative influence of stakeholder attendance and the consulting firm providing support and facilitation in the case of integrated water resource management (IWRM) planning in the state of Georgia. Using attendance data derived from meeting minutes for ten concurrently operating regional IWRM councils, we document that neither the strength nor the commitment of collaborative efforts correlate with the content of planning outputs. Instead, the variation observed among regional plans can be largely explained by taking into account the consultant firms that were contracted to advise IWRM councils. Our discussion addresses the practical implications of relying on professional consultant services in environmental policy processes, and the theoretical imperative of incorporating consultant influence when explaining collaborative governance processes, outputs, and outcomes.

Running Out of Water and Options? An Assessment of Current Drought and Water Scarcity Management Options in England and Wales

Droughts are a recurring feature of UK climate. This paper asks what drought and water scarcity management options are currently applied in England and Wales and contrasts it with international literature. This research will also deviate from the standard differentiation of supply versus demand options and present a new classification focussing on different stakeholder groups or overarching water governance issues. This new typology helps identifying weaknesses in current drought and water scarcity management. The literature review shows a tendency towards proactive measures that focus on cross-sectoral collaboration, abstractor groups and valuing water. In contrast, the results for England and Wales, based on an analysis of water companies’ Water Resources Management Plans, show that only a limited number of the international available options are applied and that the currently applied options focus on restricting water use in times of drought but focus less on preventing droughts in a larger context of water governance. Thus, to tackle future challenges such as climate change and population growth, water companies and regulators should embrace the introduction of more proactive drought management options.

Adapting the EPIK method to Brazilian Hydro(geo)logical context of the São Miguel watershed to assess karstic aquifer vulnerability to contamination

Karst aquifers are, besides important strategic reservoirs of good quality water, heterogeneous and anisotropic, where highly permeable karst networks result in insufficient time for contaminant degradations, and hence the quasi-immediate contamination of the aquifer. The EPIK method is a low-cost technique and was developed to map karst regions based on four main feature indexes: 1) epikarst; 2) protective cover; 3) infiltration conditions; and 4) karst network development. However, the method was developed according to European hydrogeologic and temperate climatic contexts, where its application without adaptations in regions in different contexts may result in possible misunderstandings, such as overlook, underestimate or overestimate significances of some parameters (e.g. soil covers, rainfall regimes, morphological domains). The Brazilian São Miguel watershed, a tropical karst region where the city of Pains is located (southwestern Minas Gerais), is characterized by high levels of thermotolerant coliforms, phosphorus, nitrate, and cadmium in surface water and groundwater. These contaminants come from, agriculture, livestock, and urban areas. Due to these issues and to provide a tool of water resource management and land use planning, the EPIK method was adapted to the hydrogeologic reality of the São Miguel watershed, considering both local vegetation and the current Brazilian speleological heritage protection legislation. Results revealed that 52% of the area has moderate vulnerability and 7% high vulnerability, this latter one concentrated in areas close to mining activities and urban areas. The study provided a reliable map and adapted technique which can be used in other Brazilian karst regions and other tropical karst regions.

Priority Assessment of Sub-watershed Based on Optimum Number of Parameters Using Fuzzy-AHP Decision Support System in the Environment of RS and GIS

Identification for planning of land and water resource management based on efficient decision-making tool is very important for providing appropriate weightage in stressed site. In the present study, fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) with different erosion hazards parameters (EHPs) have been used as a pronouncement for identification of naturally stressed sub-watershed in Nagwan watershed of Hazaribagh district in Jharkhand, India. In fuzzy-AHP, analytical hierarchy process (AHP) builds a hierarchy (ranking) of decision items using comparisons between each pair of items expressed as a matrix with fuzziness. Paired comparisons produce weighting scores that measure how much importance items and criteria have with each other and checking the consistency of the decision. In this study, the Nagwan watershed was divided in 21 sub-watershed which varies from 2.34 to 7 km2 and all EHPs of sub-watersheds have been computed using remote sensing and GIS. From the study, it has been observed that best consistency ratio has been found when using 13 parameters that is 9.44 with narrow trapezoidal shape. Each morphometric parameter was ranked with respect to the value and weightage obtained by deriving the relationships between the morphometric parameters obtained through classification of the SW by associating the strength of fuzzy analytical hierarchy processes (FAHP). By this weight, the results revealed that the priorities in five categories, out of 21 sub-watershed 19 and 24% sub-watersheds qualify for very high and high priority, whereas 57% sub-watersheds fall under medium, low and very low priority.

Hydrogeological responses in tropical mountainous springs

ABSTRACTThis study presents a hydrogeochemical analysis of spring responses (2013–2017) in the tropical mountainous region of the Central Valley of Costa Rica. The isotopic distribution of δ18O and δ2H in rainfall resulted in a highly significant meteoric water line: δ2H = 7.93·δ18O + 10.37 (r2 = 0.97). Rainfall isotopic composition exhibited a strong amount-dependent seasonality. The isotopic variation (δ18O) of two springs within the Barva aquifer was simulated using the FlowPC program to determine mean transit times (MTTs). Exponential-piston and dispersion distribution functions provided the best-fit to the observed isotopic composition at Flores and Sacramento springs, respectively. MTTs corresponded to 1.23 ± 0.03 (Sacramento) and 1.42 ± 0.04 (Flores) years. The greater MTT was represented by a homogeneous geochemical composition at Flores, whereas the smaller MTT at Sacramento is reflected in a more variable geochemical response. The results may be used to enhance modelling efforts in central Costa Rica, whereby scarcity of long-term data limits water resources management plans.

Impact of climate change on meteorological, hydrological and agricultural droughts in the Lower Mekong River Basin: a case study of the Srepok Basin, Vietnam

AbstractThe objective of this study is to assess future changes in meteorological, hydrology and agricultural droughts under the impact of changing climate in the Srepok River Basin, a subbasin of LMB, using three drought indices; standardized precipitation index (SPI), standardized runoff index (SRI) and standardized soil moisture index (SSWI). The well‐calibrated Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is used as a simulation tool to estimate the features of meteorological, hydrological and agricultural droughts. The climate data for the 2016–2040 period is obtained from four different regional climate models; HadGEM3‐RA, SNU‐MM5, RegCM4 and YSU‐RSM, which are downscaled from the HadGEM2‐AO GCM. The results show that the severity, duration and frequency of droughts are predicted to increase in the near future for this region. Moreover, the meteorological drought is less sensitive to climate change than the hydrological and agricultural droughts; however, it has a stronger correlation with the hydrological and agricultural droughts as the accumulation period is increased. These findings may be useful for water resources management and future planning for mitigation and adaptation to the climate change impact in the Srepok River Basin.

Spatiotemporal characteristics of future changes in precipitation and temperature in Central Asia

The arid and semi‐arid areas in Central Asia have scarce water resources and fragile ecosystems that are especially sensitive and vulnerable to climate change. Reliable information regarding future projections of change in climate is crucial for long‐term planning of water resources management and structural adjustment of agriculture in this region. However, the low‐density meteorological observation network brings great challenges for investigating the effects of climate variations. In this study, variations of precipitation and temperature in Central Asia were examined by a combination of gridded climate dataset of the Climate Research Unit and the latest general circulation models (GCMs) under a representative concentration pathway 4.5. Three downscaling methods, Delta, Advanced Delta, and Bayesian model averaging (BMA) methods, translate the coarse GCMs to local climatic variations for the period 2021–2060 relative to 1965–2004. Major results suggested that the Advanced Delta and BMA methods outperformed the Delta method in precipitation downscaling. Projected precipitation exhibited a general increasing trend at a rate of 4.63 mm/decade for entire Central Asia with strong spatiotemporal heterogeneity. While a declining trend was observed in the southwestern and central parts of Central Asia in summer. The projected temperature was revealed an obvious ascending at 0.37°C/decade, while the warming rate accelerated in higher latitude and mountainous areas. [Correction added on 03 December 2018, after first online publication: The preceding statement has been corrected in this version.] The surface land coverage had significant effects on the variations of precipitation and temperature, respectively. The driven factors of local climate were suggested by analysing the relationships between climate variations and large‐scale atmospheric circulation fields anomalies. The findings of this study aims to provide useful information to improve our understanding for future climate change and benefit local decision makers.