Lecture-12-Impact of Climate Change on Water Demand And Water Quality.

Abstract

Climate change is one of the major challenges to researchers in recent times. The impact of climate change on water resources around the globe has serious implications like, changing water levels and climatic temperatures which in turn affect the economy and future as a whole. In addition, water resources are depleting day by day due to the exponential demand from sectors like irrigation, domestic consumption and industry. Water availability and quality will be the main pressures on, and issues for, societies and the environment under climate change. Along with quantity, quality is also deteriorating mainly due to the indiscriminate use of ground water to hazardous levels, pollution of rivers and improper management of waste water. This necessitates water conservation strategies to be adopted at the national, state and local levels. Climate-related impacts on water resources are already being documented. In all corners of the world, there is growing empirical evidence of increased severe weather events, flooding, and diminished ice cover, all of which can be attributed to climate change. Numerous scientific studies also reports increases in the intensity, duration, and spatial extent of droughts, higher atmospheric temperatures, warmer sea surface temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and diminishing glaciers and snowpack. In the future, climate change will affect water supply, quality, and demand. This lecture highlights the impacts of climate change on water demand and water quality and to explore required research areas to minimize the impact of climate change on water demand and water quality.