Detection of Changes in Evapotranspiration on a Catchment Scale Under Changing Climate Conditions in Selected River Basins of Slovakia

Abstract

Potential changes in a hydrological regime caused by a changing climate represent a crucial source of uncertainty in water resources management. For example, in Slovakia, they may manifest themselves in a decrease in water resources, a change in the seasonality of runoff, and an increase in the extremes of floods and droughts. The research presented here focuses on using the hydrological balance equation to predict changes in the total catchment evapotranspiration under changing climate conditions. Using the TUW rainfall-runoff model and the KNMI and MPI climate change scenarios, the hydrological regime of eight selected basins in Slovakia was simulated for three thirty-year periods from 2010 until the year 2100. The results showed that the growth of total catchment evapotranspiration observed in recent decades is likely to increase further in the future.

Keywords

• evapotranspiration
• hydrological balance
• seasonality
• climate changes