Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources: A Review

Abstract

Climate change is the increase in Earth’s mean temperature and the corresponding significant modifications to weather patterns. Climate and water are inextricably linked. Water gets more scarce, polluted, and unreliable as a result of severe weather conditions. Resources of water are projected to be impacted by climate change, which has an impact on precipitation quantity, variability, timing, form, and intensity. Rising global temperatures result in more water evaporating, which raises the amounts of water vapor in the atmosphere, leading to more frequent, intense, and violent rainstorms in the years to come. Temperature and precipitation variations are the primary ways of climate change that modify the hydrological cycles, which could exacerbate regional and worldwide water shortages. Therefore, the main cycle through which climate change occurs is weather and water, specifically the delicate balance between evaporation and precipitation. Water management techniques and the operation of current water infrastructure, such as irrigation, drainage, flood defenses, and hydropower, are all impacted by climate change. Current climate projections indicate that safeguarding the water will require controlling its effects, whether excessive or insufficient and taking the necessary steps to reduce the vulnerabilities of businesses and communities. The correlation between climate change and water resources is discussed in this review. Evaluating the availability of water resources in light of future national needs and the predicted effects of climate change and its variability is essential for long-term development on both a national and global scale. Consequently, it is clear that there are intricate connections between the climate, water, biophysical and socioeconomic systems. Therefore, human society, especially in Rajasthan is primarily concerned about the interaction between change of climate and water resources, particularly freshwater.