Future Water Availability for Food and Hydropower in Basins Dependent on the Himalaya Mountains' Ice Reserves | Rozina Naz

Field | Discipline

• Argriculture
• Water Resources
• Climate Change

Expertise

• GIS/Remote Sensing data analysis and mapping
• Hydrological Models

• Climate Data Operations (CDO)

Summary

The Himalaya provides freshwater from snow and ice melting to ten of the world largest rivers in South Asia originating in the Himalayan mountains. These rivers provide water to the large population living in the mountains and river basins where water is mainly used for agricultural production.

Climate factors e.g., warming trends, variations in precipitation, and increased snow and glacier melting cause shifts in the mountains’ water supply. Frequent and intense floods and droughts have been common phenomena in this region. This poses risks for food and hydroelectric power generation. These climate change impacts on water supply in a few river basins are still unclear. My research aims to assess precipitation variability, warming and its impact on snow and glacier melting trends, the hydrologic response and estimate future water availability for food and hydropower in the ten river basins dependent on Himalaya mountains’ ice reserves.

To achieve this aim, I will use around fifty different climate models, and then the best suitable climate models’ datasets for the Himalaya region will be used as input datasets for an integrated hydrological model. Hydrological models simulate groundwater and surface water flows. In this way, I will estimate water availability over the 21 st century. My thesis will explore the future water-energy-food nexus for the basins in South Asia dependent on the Himalaya mountains’ melting water.

Supervision by

• Promotor Prof. Dr. K. Klaus Hubacek| Integrated Research on Energy, Environment and Society - IREES | ESRIG, University of Groningen.
• Co-promotor Prof. Dr. R. Richard Bintanja| Integrated Research on Energy, Environment and Society - IREES | ESRIG, University of Groningen.
• Daily supervisor Dr. P.W. Winnie Leenes | Integrated Research on Energy, Environment and Society - IREES | ESRIG, University of Groningen.

More information and contact details can be found on the personal profile of Rozina Naz