Modeling the Impacts of Climate Change on Groundwater Resources: A Review

Abstract

Global atmospheric general circulation models (GCMs) were developed to simulate the current climate and are used to predict climate change. Several Global Climate Models (GCM’s) are available for understanding and projecting climate change. GCM requires to be downscale on a basin-scale and combined with applicable hydrological models considering all components of the hydrologic process. The performance of such coupling models, such as groundwater recharge quantification, should help to make correct adaptation strategies. Climate change has the ability to affect both the quality and quantity of available groundwater, mainly through impact on recharge, evapotranspiration, pump-age and abstraction. As a consequence, groundwater is a significant contributor to the streamflow in areas with fairly shallow water resources, knowing how climate change could impact groundwater supplies is crucial for long-term water resource management. The effect of climate change on groundwater systems is very difficult to predict. Part of the uncertainty of climate predictions is embedded of possibilities. Better insights, a more profound knowledge of mechanisms and modeling skills are required to determine this critical resource’s potential in the face of predicted climate change.