Abstract

MARTINEZ-AUSTRIA, Polioptro F.  and  PATINO-GOMEZ, Carlos. Effects of climate change on water availability in Mexico. Tecnol. cienc. agua [online]. 2012, vol.3, n.1, pp.5-20. ISSN 2007-2422.

Climate and water cycles are so closely interrelated that the increased temperature and decreased precipitation expected by the most likely climate change scenarios will have a significant impact on the availability of water resources in Mexico and worldwide. Temperature, sea-level, and snow cover variations observed and recorded over the last few decades in the northern hemisphere -and specifically in the Tropic of Cancer where Mexico is located- attest to its high vulnerability to climate change. Reduced precipitation and less runoff are expected at middle and subtropical latitudes. These conditions have already been recorded in some of the main river basins in Mexico, and if no adaptation measures are taken, the country's food sufficiency will be in jeopardy. Meanwhile, heavier rains and increased extreme events are also expected to occur, making some watersheds in Mexico's southeast all the more vulnerable to floods. In order to deal with these and other effects of climate change in Mexico, better models are required -based on climate change scenarios- and adaptation actions need to be designed and prioritized in the country's most vulnerable hydrologic regions.

Keywords : climate change; global warming; water resources availability; emission scenarios A1B and A2.

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