Impact of Climate Change on the Water Cycle

Abstract

Global warming has accelerated in recent years with an increase of about 0.75 °C during the past 100 years. The rate of temperature increase in the past 25 years has been over 0.18 °C per decade. Global warming has been observed more over land than over the ocean. This rise in temperature is leading to a rise in sea levels, glacier melt, and changes in precipitation patterns. In addition to urbanisation where roads and buildings impact on the amount of groundwater percolation, large infrastructures such as dams are impacting on the microclimate cycle, which changes the evapotranspiration rate in the region leading to a change in the amount of precipitation. The focus of this chapter is on the impact of climate change on the water cycle, particularly in relation to freshwater, including how a change in the climate cycle is impacting on the water cycle, followed by the impacts of change on water quality and availability, health, agriculture (food security), biodiversity, and water security.