Richard A. Warrick

The Implications of Climate Change on Floods of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in Bangladesh

Climate change in the future would have implications for river discharges in Bangladesh. In this article, possible changes in the magnitude, extent and depth of floods of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna (GBM) rivers in Bangladesh were assessed using a sequence of empirical models and the MIKE11-GIS hydrodynamic model. Climate change scenarios were constructed from the results of four General Circulation Models (GCMs) –CSIRO9, UKTR, GFDL and LLNL, which demonstrate a range of uncertainties. Changes in magnitude, depth and extent of flood discharge vary considerably between the GCMs. Future changes in the peak discharge of the Ganges River are expected to be higher than those for the Brahmaputra River. Peak discharge of the Meghna River may also increase considerably. As a result, significant changes in the spatial extent and depths of inundation in Bangladesh may occur. Faster changes in inundation are expected at low temperature increases than of higher temperature changes. Changes in land inundation categories may introduce substantial changes in rice agriculture and cropping patterns in Bangladesh. Reduction of increased flood hazard due to climate change requires strengthening of flood management policies and adaptation measures in Bangladesh.

Trends and persistence in precipitation in the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna river basins

Abstract The Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna (GBM) river basins occupy about 1.75 x 106 km2 of the Himalayan region. More than half a billion people in Nepal, India, Bhutan and Bangladesh are directly or indirectly dependent on the water resources of the GBM rivers. These river basins are characterized by diversified climatic patterns. Analyses of trends and persistence in precipitation over these river basins are necessary for sound water resources planning. Time series of annual precipitation for each of the 16 meteorological subdivisions covering the three river basins were examined for trends using the Mann-Kendall rank statistic, Students t-test and regression analysis, and for persistence using first order autocorrelation analysis. Results indicate that precipitation in the Ganges basin is by-and-large stable. Precipitation in one subdivision in the Brahmaputra bassin shows a decreasing trend and another shows an increasing trend. One of the three subdivisions in the Meghna basin shows a decreasing ...

Are floods getting worse in the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna basins?

The Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna/Barak rivers are lifelines for millions of people in South Asia in Nepal, India, Bhutan and Bangladesh. They supply water for food and fibre production and for industrial and domestic purposes. They are also sources of disastrous floods that cause substantial damage to agriculture and infrastructure in these countries. There are claims that flood discharges, areal extent, and damage-costs are getting worse in the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna/Barak basins. The validity of these claims was examined by applying four different statistical tests to the peak discharge time series and flooded areas. The results indicate that no conclusive changes have occurred over the last few decades. Reports of increased flood damage may be due to a combination of other factors, such as improved damage assessment techniques, and the expansion and intensification of settlement in flood-prone areas, but this was not tested in this paper and should be top priority for future research.

Integrated Model Systems for National Assessments of the Effects of Climate Change: Applications in New Zealand and Bangladesh

To examine the sensitivity of environmental systems to climatic variability and change, integrated model systems for climate impact assessment are being developed for New Zealand (CLIMPACTS) and Bangladesh (BDCLIM). Features common to both model systems include a global climate model, regional modules for generating climate scenarios, and models for biophysical impact analyses. For CLIMPACTS, modified ecosystem models for horticultural crops, arable crops, and pasture production are being incorporated. For BDCLIM, the emphasis is on analysis of possible changes in agroclimatic zones and hydrology, including the risks of floods and droughts. The initial emphasis of both systems is on nationwide spatial analyses, using simplified models as much as possible. The development of integrated model systems supports the needs of the respective countries in assessing scientific uncertainties, evaluating vulnerabilities, and identifying adaptation options as a basis for international reporting requirements under the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change and for policy and planning at national and regional levels. The major advantage of such integrated model systems is that they can readily be updated as the science of climate change advances, thus providing an evolving tool for future reassessments of climate impacts.

Climate variations and New Zealand agriculture: The CLIMPACTS system and issues of spatial and temporal scale

Internationally and nationally, New Zealand has a growing requirement to assess and report on the possible effects of climate change. In association with this requirement, the science of climate change is rapidly evolving requiring a capacity for rapid reassessment of effects to take account of scientific advances. Consequently, past assessment methods, which have not been computationally efficient, nor easily repeated, are becoming outdated. To address this gap, an integrated assessment model (IAM), the CLIMPACTS system, has been developed for New Zealand. The CLIMPACTS system has been developed to provide flexibility in application, to be easily updated to take account of scientific advances, and capable of providing information in a manner that is relevant to policymakers. In order to be relevant in New Zealand, it has been necessary to account for different scales of assessment, nationally, at specific sites, and regionally. Nationally, the focus is on spatial applications (e.g., changes in areas of suitability), whereas at sites, the focus is on temporal applications (e.g., changes in risk). The regional capacity in the CLIMPACTS system has required an integration of spatial and temporal applications. This paper describes briefly the capability that has been developed at these different scales of assessment, with brief examples for each. The CLIMPACTS system has enhanced New Zealands capability to examine environmental sensitivities to climate change, as a basis for better informed policy decisions. Importantly, it is an evolving platform that can be readily extended to other sectors and updated, for example, to account for the effects of internationally agreed greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets.