The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that climate change will increase current stresses on water resources from population growth and economic and land-use change. Predicted reduction of glacier and snow cover due to temperature increase will affect water availability, hydropower potential, human health, and water cycle seasonality (including effects on terrestrial and marine ecosystems)1.
IPCC predicts that the negative impacts of climate change on freshwater systems will outweigh its possible benefits. Areas in which runoff is projected to decline face a reduction in the value of the services provided by water resources. The potential benefits of increased annual runoff in some areas will be tempered by negative effects of increased precipitation, seasonal runoff shifts on water supply, water quality, and flood risk. In coastal areas, sea-level rise will increase water resource constraints due to saline-water intrusion into groundwater supplies. Increased runoff sedimentation and freshwater dilution on coastal areas will have an adverse effect on many coastal/marine ecosystems. Also, coastal erosion and floods will especially affect large populations in low-lying delta areas and small islands.
1 IPPC: Climate Change 2007: Synthesis report (ppt).
Source: 4th Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts and Islands, Hanoi, Vietnam, 7-11 April, 2008
Policy Brief on Freshwater to Oceans, Pgs 1-2 http://www.thew2o.net/goc2008/freshwater.htm
