Management of lakes and reservoirs during global climate change

Abstract

If present trends continue, most climatologists agree that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will have doubled by 2050. This increase in CO2 will have a major effect on the global climate and substantially alter the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of lakes throughout the world. A number of recent studies have considered the impact of climate change on water resources, but most have a national focus and are primarily concerned with changes in water quantity rather than quality. In recent years a number of workers have demonstrated that year-to-year changes in the weather have a profound impact on the seasonal dynamics of lakes. This book highlights some of the mechanisms involved and assesses the likely qualitative impact of recent changes in the weather.Audience: Researchers, teachers, water managers.