Beniston Martin

ACQWA - Assessing Climatic change and impacts on the Quantity and quality of Water Coordinating Project

Project Number: EU.FP7.Env.212250

Project Type:	Coordinating_Project
Project Duration:	10/01/2008 - 09/30/2013
Funding Source:	EU ,
Project Leader:	Prof. Martin Beniston Retired Institut des sciences de l'environnement (ISE) Université de Genève 66 boulevard Carl Vogt 1205 Genève Phone: +41 (0) 22 379 07 97 e-Mail: martin.beniston(at)unige.ch https://www.unige.ch/beniston

related to this project.

for which the project has a relevance.

Research Areas:

Hydrosphere (Impacts)
Impacts on Human Being and Health
Response Strategies and their Impact
Natural science
Coupled Systems and Biochemical Cycles (Impacts)
High Altitude

Disciplines:

hydrology, limnology, glaciology
climatology, atmospheric physics, aeronomy

Keywords:
Climatic change, water resources, mountain regions, modelling, impacts, hazards, adaptation, policy

Abstract:
As the evidence for human induced climate change becomes clearer, so too does the realization that its effects will have impacts on natural environment and socio-economic systems. Some regions are more vulnerable than others, both to physical changes and to the consequences for ways of life. The proposal will assess the impacts of a changing climate on the quantity and quality of water in mountain regions. Modelling techniques will be used to project the influence of climatic change on the major determinants of river discharge at various time and space scales. Regional climate models will provide the essential information on shifting precipitation and temperature patterns, and snow, ice, and biosphere models will feed into hydrological models in order to assess the changes in seasonality, amount, and incidence of extreme events in various catchment areas. Environmental and socia-economic responses to changes in hydrological regimes will be analyzed in terms of hazards, aquatic ecosystems, hydropower, tourism, agriculture, and the health implications of changing water quality. Attention will also be devoted to the interactions between land use/land cover changes, and changing or conflicting water resource demands. Adaptation and policy options will be elaborated on the basis of the model results. Specific environmental conditions of mountain regions will be particularly affected by rapidly rising temperatures, prolonged drougths and extreme precipitation. The methodological developments gained from a European mountain focus will be used to address water issues in regions whose economic conditions and political structures may compromise capacities to respond and adapt, such as the Andes and Central Asia where complex problems resulting from asymmetric power relations and less robust institutions arise. Methodologies to study European mountains and their institutional frameworks will identify vulnerabilities and be used to evaluate a range of policy options.

URL: http://www.unige.ch/climate/Projects/ACQWA.html

PDF: http://www.unige.ch/climate/Projects/ACQWA/DoW.pdf


Last update: 5/24/16
Source of data: ProClim- Research InfoSystem (1993-2024)
Update the data of project: CH-3696

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