An analysis of unmet water demand under climate change scenarios in the Gualí River Basin, Colombia, through the implementation of Hydro-BID and WEAP hydrological modeling tools

Abstract

Climate change can affect hydrological services in Andean basins, so a possible reduction in water supply can lead to not meeting the needs of different users, which has become a real challenge for decision-makers with regards to water management. This paper presents the results obtained from hydrological modeling exercises in the Gualí River Basin (Colombia) by combining the Hydro-BID modeling tool, which consists of an analytical hydrology database for Latin America and the Caribbean that provides a great advantage for countries with limited information and the Water Evaluation and Planning System (WEAP) modeling tool, in order to determine the potential impacts of climate change on unsatisfied demand for water in the basin. The results show a possible decrease in flow compared to current conditions; between 5.8% and 9.56% for CPR 2.6, and between 2.18% and 6.86% for CPR 8.5. The approach presented is useful to ensure that timely decisions are made to meet the demands of users under the conditions of climate change.

Keywords

• climate change
• downscaling
• hydro-bid
• weap