LAWI301239 Possible impacts of climate change on water resources

Type
Lecture
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Koch, Franziska , Schulz, Karsten , Mehdi-Schulz, Bano , Formayer, Herbert
Organisation
Hydrology and Water Management
Offered in
Sommersemester 2026
Languages of instruction
Englisch
Content

This lecture series introduces the climate and hydrological systems, with particular emphasis on their interactions at local to global scales. The course provides an overview of the development of future climate scenarios, including Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). Particular attention is given to the potential impacts of climate change on water resources, including riverine and snow-dominated systems.

The course adopts an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating concepts and methods from meteorology, hydrology, agriculture, forestry, and alpine hazard research. Through lectures and selected case studies, students gain an understanding of both physical processes and applied impact and adaptation research relevant to the water sector.

The lectures will cover the following topics:
- Climate and weather processes across different spatial and temporal scales, including past variability and future trends
- Global and regional climate models and the development of climate scenarios
- Components of the water cycle and water balance, and their projected changes under climate change
- Soil–vegetation–atmosphere interactions and expected future developments
- Examples of climate change impact and adaptation studies with direct relevance to water resources management
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

After participation in the course, the students will be able to:
•explain the coupled atmospheric-hydrologic system;
•identify the boundary conditions of different climate change scenarios;
•describe the impact of climate factors (precipitation, temperature) on evapotranspiration, infiltration, runoff processes and cryosphere;
•discuss the impacts of climate change on agriculture, forestry, alpine risks, and related hydrological aspects (e.g. irrigation, hydropower capacity, snow cover and tourism, wood production, etc.);
•interpret the hard and soft facts of climate change discussions.
•provide evidence-based explanations to counter the arguments of climate change deniers
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.