Water Resources Research in Northwest China

This book examines the possible impacts of climate change on hydrology and water resources in the arid region of Northwest China, which is one of the world s largest arid places. The first chapter offers an introductory discussion of the physical geography and socioeconomic conditions in the region. Part two discusses climate system and hydrologic system changes and implications of these changes in relation to potential evapotranspiration, the hydrological cycle and the spatiotemporal variations of the snow cover and glaciers through remote sensing, geographic information systems and statistical analysis. The third part of the book focuses on the model description and experimental design for interpreting the hydro-climatic process, emphasizing the integration of water, climate and land ecosystems through field observations and computer-based simulations. Part four examines extreme hydrological events and presents a study using the historical trend method to investigate the spatial and temporal variability of changing temperature and precipitation extremes in hyper-arid Northwest China. A concluding chapter discusses possible strategies for sustainable watershed management. The lessons of this study will prove be useful for arid areas elsewhere in the world.