Transcript climate change on water resources

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CLIMATE CHANGE PRESENTATION
Lesotho Water Week Seminar
5th – 7th April 2011
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
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The climate system
Background
Definition of CC
Observation/Scenarios
Impacts
 Globally, Regionally
 Lesotho
 Water Resources
Adaptation /Projects
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BACKGROUND
 Of all resources available to mankind, climate is one that has always been taken for
granted
•Climate always changed in the past but over a long time scales…ice age etc
 The current climate change is taking place at a faster rate.
Climate Change has evolved to be major issue of our times
Climatological
Example of Maldives
Environmental
Socio-Economic
survival Issue
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DEFINITION OF CLIMATE CHANGE
 CLIMATE CHANGE = GLOBAL WARMING
•UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) defines climate
change as “A change of climate that is attributed directly or indirectly to
human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and that
is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time
periods”.
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GREEN HOUSE GASES (GHGs) - Carbon dioxide, methane,… most industrial
emissions
•They reside in the lower atmosphere, below 10km
•Some of GHGs have a long residence period e.g carbon dioxide can last for100 –
110 years, while methane can last for 8-10 years
GREEN HOUSE GASES
GREEN HOUSE EFFECT
GLOBAL WARMING
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EVIDENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE
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Global surface temperature change over the last 1300 years
(relative to 1961~1990)
AR4: Average temperature during the second half of the 20th century
were likely the warmest 50 years over the last 1300 years.
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EVIDENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE CONT…
•Increase of rainfall at some places and decrease at some places
•Melting of Ice Caps
•Sea level rise
•Extreme and prolonged drought e.g. 1970s in Sahelan Africa
•High frequency of cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons and tsunami
•Heat waves in Europe
•Extreme Weather Events e.g. Snowfall
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Destruction of construction due to destructive
storms and winds occurs frequently
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SCENARIOS
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Warmer climatic Conditions
Lower precipitation in spring and summer
Higher precipitation in winter
Gradually increasing precipitation in Autumn
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Shift in precipitation patterns
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IMPACTS
based on
literature and
expert judgment
IPCC.
Adaptation is
not taken into
account.
IMPACTS
Major impacts of climate
change on crop and
livestock yields, and
forestry production by
2050
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In most land areas, the proportion of heavy precipitation is increasing.
Frequency of heavy precipitation in Lesotho is also increasing.
Distribution of the proportion of heavy precipitation and extreme heavy precipitation
(+: increase; -: decrease)
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High temperatures,
poor grass cover,
lower rainfall, frequent
droughts, rainstorms
etc are likely to
increase soil erosion
far above current
levels. This further
weakens the capacity
of the soils to support
the country’s
biological and
economic well-being
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CLIMATE CHANGE ON WATER RESOURCES
 Water Availability
1. Where precipitation decreases, the net supplies decreases
increase in water demand particularly in areas like agriculture
2. Changes in streamflow have important implications for water and
flood management, irrigation and planning
 Water Quality
1. Where steamflow fall, there will be less dilution of pollutants
2. Flooding can affect water quality and increase sedimentation
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CLIMATE CHANGE ON WATER RESOURCES OVER LESOTHO
 Reduced surface and sub-surface runoff as a result of the predicted lower
precipitation
 The country will enter a water stress period of less than 1700m3 per capita per
year by 2019
 Water scarcity of less than 1000m3 per capita per year by 2062
 Dry conditions and lower sub-surface flow would lead to
 dry springs and wells,
 lower water tables, and higher borehole costs
 reduced yields of many water sources
Conflicts between Lesotho and South Africa
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ADAPTATION
The convention provides for the developing countries to be assisted to adapt to the
changing climate
•Adaptation projects
•Technology Transfer
•Capacity Building
•Finance
There are financial mechanisms to assist the process
•Least Developed Countries fund: For NAPAs in LDCs
•Special climate change fund: For all developing countries, adaptation projects
only
•Adaptation fund: From adaptation levy on CDM
ADAPTATION PROJECTS
National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) - Completed in 2007
•Identified eleven priority areas
Water Purification system funded by the Government of Japan
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The NAPA process identified eleven adaptation options outlined below in their order of priority:
Option 1: Improve Resilience of Livestock Production Systems Under Extreme Climatic Conditions in
Various Livelihood Zones in Lesotho
Option 2: Promoting Sustainable Crop Based Livelihood Systems in Foothills, Lowlands and Senqu River
Valley
Option 3: Capacity Building and Policy Reform to Integrate Climate Change in Sectoral Development Plans.
Option 4: Improvement of an Early Warning System Against Climate Induced Disasters and Hazards.
Option 5: Securing Village Water Supply for Communities in the Southern Lowlands.
Option 6: Management and Reclamation of Degraded and Eroded Land in the Flood Prone Areas (Pilot
Project for Western Lowlands).
Option 7: Conservation and Rehabilitation of Degraded Wetlands in the Mountain Areas of Lesotho.
Option 8: Improvement of Community Food Security Through the Promotion of Food Processing and
Preservation Technologies.
Option 9: Strengthening and stabilizing eco-tourism based rural livelihoods.
Option 10: Promote Wind, Solar and Biogas Energy Use as a Supplement to Hydropower Energy.
Option 11: Stabilizing Community Livelihoods which are Adversely Affected by Climate Change Through
Improvement of Small Scale Industries.
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Implementation of adaptation measures such as
water conservation
application of appropriate management practices
will have an important role to play in determining the
impacts of climate change on water resources
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I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:
www.lesmet.org.ls
www.unfccc.int
www.ipcc.org.
www.wmo.ch
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CONTACT
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