The Effect of Climate Change on Water Resources Using Panel Approach: The Case of Malaysia

Abstract

Water resources are important to society and ecosystems. This paper aims to determine the factors affecting the water resources for 13 states in Malaysia for a period from 2007 to 2012 by using panel data. The model includes the dependent variable, namely water resources and independent variables comprising climate change, water consumption, population density, and income per capita. The results indicate that the climate change will influence the availability, quantity and quality of water resources. As a result, the water consumption will change as consumers use more water during the dry season. This finding is useful in future studies which aim at assessing the impact of climate change in managing the water resources efficiently and effectively towards sustainability of water resources for the future generation.