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River systems worldwide are losing water due to global warming Jeremy Hance mongabay.com April 22, 2009
"The distribution of the world's fresh water, already an important topic will occupy front and center stage for years to come in developing adaptation strategies to a changing climate," says Cliff Jacobs of National Science Foundation, which funded the research. Scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado, examined stream flows from 925 of the world’s largest rivers for over fifty years, 1948 to 2004. Using measurements from the field supplemented by computer models, the scientists found that one third of the rivers showed large changes in stream flows with these, either gaining water or losing it. A decrease in water flow was more common, outnumbering an increase by a ratio of 2.5 to 1. In addition, rivers that were experiencing larger stream flows were usually in little-populated areas, such as the Arctic where melting ice is inundating river systems.
"Reduced runoff is increasing the pressure on freshwater resources in much of the world, especially with more demand for water as population increases," says NCAR scientist Aiguo Dai, the lead author of the journal paper. "Freshwater being a vital resource, the downward trends are a great concern." The researchers have linked these changes in water flow to climate change. While, other factors are involved including dams and irrigation, the researchers found that largest changes to be linked to shifting climate patterns, including altered precipitation and increasing evaporation due to warmer temperatures. While the change in river levels will have immediate impacts on food and water security for nations across the world, scientists are also concerned about how less freshwater may affect the oceans. Many of these rivers’ freshwater discharges bring nutrients and minerals to the oceans, important for many marine species. As well the freshwater from river systems affects oceanic circulation, which could exacerbate climate change. The scientists say that possible shifts in the ocean must be closely monitored in the future. Related articles Colorado River unlikely to meet current water demands in warmer, drier world (04/20/2009) Feeding the water habits of such major cities as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, in addition to providing irrigation waters for the entire Southwestern United States, has stretched the Colorado River thin. The river no longer consistently reaches the sea as it once did. Now a new study warns that the Colorado River system, which has proven dependable for human use throughout the 20th Century, may soon experience shortages due to global warming. Lake Mead could be dry up by 2021 (02/12/2008) There is a 50 percent chance Lake Mead, a key source of water for millions of people in the southwestern U.S., will be dry by 2021 if climate changes as expected and future water usage is not curtailed, a new study finds. African river basins are drying up says NASA (12/13/2006) New satellite data from NASA show that the Mississippi and Colorado River basins are storing more water over the past five years, while the Congo, Zambezi and Nile basins are drying. SHARE THIS ARTICLE:
Tags: rivers water jeremy hance green environment climate change drought impact of climate change oceans precipitation India china united states West Africa
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