The impacts of water infrastructure and climate change on the hydrology of the Upper Ganges River Basin

IWMI Research Report 142 assesses the variability of flows under present and ‘naturalized’ basin conditions in the Upper Ganges Basin. Furthermore, a regional climate model was used to generate climate projections for the basin, with subsequent simulations of future river flows.


2012.01_Impacts_water_infrastructure_climate_change_hydrology_Upper_GangesResults show that the annual average precipitation, actual evapotranspiration and net water yields of the whole basin were 1,192 mm, 416 mm and 615 mm, respectively. Precipitation, ET and water yields were found to be higher in the forested and mountainous upper areas of the Upper Ganges Basin. On an annual average, present-day flows throughout the basin are about 2–8% lower than under naturalized conditions.


acrobat_icon The impacts of water infrastructure and climate change on the hydrology of the Upper Ganges River Basin

 

Citation:

Bharati, L., G. Lacombe, P. Gurung, P. Jayakody, C.T. Hoanh and V. Smakhtin (2011)  The impacts of water infrastructure and climate change on the hydrology of the Upper Ganges River Basin; IWMI Research Report 142, International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 36 pp, doi: 10.5337/2011.210, ISBN 978-92-9090-744-2.