Changes in discharge for selected rivers in the HKH region
Shifts in the seasonality of flows can have major implications for regional food security, especially when the timing of peak flows and growing seasons do not coincide. However, this study suggests that significant seasonal shifts in flow will not occur by 2050. A small shift in the seasonality of flow is expected within the Salween and Mekong rivers. Increased flows are expected for August through to May related to increased precipitation and a shift in snow melt to earlier in spring, whereas decreased flows are expected in June and July. The snow melt peak will decrease in magnitude because more liquid precipitation (rain) will fall in response to increased temperatures. Within the upper Brahmaputra, a slight one-month shift in peak flow to later in the year is expected under the RCP 8.5 scenario.
Year: 2015
From collection: The Himalayan Climate and Water Atlas
Cartographer: Riccardo Pravettoni