Climate change and water in the UK – past changes and future prospects

• DOI: 10.1177/0309133314542957
• Publication Date: 2015-02-10T06:42:12Z
• Authors: Glenn Watts; Richard W. Battarbee; John P. Bloomfield; Jill Crossman; Andre Daccache; Isabelle Durance; J. Alex Elliott; Grace Garner; Jamie Hannaford; David M. Hannah; Tim Hess; Christopher R. Ja...; Alison L. Kay; Martin Kernan; Jerry Knox; Jonathan Mackay; Don T. Monteith; Steve J. Ormerod; Jemima Rance; Marianne E. Stuart; Andrew J. Wade; Steven D. Wade; Keith Weatherhead; Paul G. Whitehead; Robert L. Wilby
• Keywords: Forcing (mathematics)

Climate change is expected to modify rainfall, temperature and catchment hydrological responses across the world, adapting these water-related changes a pressing challenge. This paper reviews impact of anthropogenic climate on water in UK looks at projections future change. The natural variability makes hard detect; only historical increases air can be attributed forcing, but over last 50 years more winter rainfall has been falling intense events. Future evapotranspiration could lead changed flow regimes impacts quality, aquatic ecosystems availability. Summer flows may decrease average, floods become larger frequent. River lake quality decline as result higher temperatures, lower river increased algal blooms summer, because winter. In communicating this important work, researchers should pay particular attention explaining confidence uncertainty clearly. Much relevant research either global or highly localized: decision-makers would benefit from studies that address spatial temporal scale appropriate for decisions they make.