Hydrological characterisation and impact assessment of climate change in the Athabasca River Basin, Canada | |
| Author | Aryal, Sharad |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.WM-22-08 |
| Subject(s) | Climatic changes--Canada--Athabasca River Basin Hydrology--Canada--Athabasca River Basin |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Water Engineering and Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | For the rational management, conservation, and rehabilitation of river basins, a comprehensive assessment of natural baseline hydrological condition and evaluation of alterations with respect to baseline is necessary. Athabasca River Basin, covering an area of 150,000 km2 , represents a complex basin characterized by varying hydroclimatic and geological features. Climate change is expected to introduce changes in the complex hydrological system creating further variability. A baseline period of 30 years from 1961-1990 was established and flow indicators were used to characterize the baseline condition. Principal Component Analysis was carried out to establish key indicators that essentially reflect the major aspects of the flow regime. Alteration in the summer flows throughout the basin, and earlier shifts in spring freshet initiation date were the major shifts that has already been observed compared to baseline period. A distributed physically based hydrological MIKE SHE model coupled with MIKE HYDRO flow model was used to represent the complexity of the system, and climate model data were used to simulate future condition. The modelling results revealed that the mean annual flow is expected to decrease in the future period of 2021-2050 by up to 4.70% and 9.35 % in the middle and lower part of the basin, respectively. Significant reduction in annual maximum flow is expected to occur in the future compared to baseline period. Trend analysis result showed significant increase in flow for the month of March, whereas most of the indicators showed insignificant increasing trend in baseline and future. In general, the study results will be beneficial for planners and policy makers to evaluate and monitor the changes in natural hydrology of the basin. |
| Year | 2022 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Civil and Infrastucture Engineering (DCIE) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Water Engineering and Management (WM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Babel, Mukand S.; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Shanmugam, Mohana Sundaram;Shrestha, Sangam; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Asian Institute of Technology Scholarships; |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Eng.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2022 |