Climate change impact assessment
We prepare climate change impact assessment studies on various areas to assist in strategic decision making.
About the project
The project focused on assessing the impact of climate change on Nicaragua’s water resources, paying special attention to the future evolution of the rainfall regime and its effect on the design of water infrastructure. Water management is conditioned not only by the total amount of rainfall, but also by how it is distributed: intense and brief precipitation generates runoff, while moderate and persistent rainfall favors aquifer recharge. In addition, the increase in temperature increases evapotranspiration, reducing water availability, even if precipitation does not change significantly.
Results
Twelve future climate scenarios were generated using the FICLIMA methodology, applying models under different IPCC RCPs. From them, water balance projections were derived and future IDF curves were calculated, which are fundamental for the resizing of hydraulic infrastructures. In addition, the N index, which quantifies rainfall intensity, was estimated as a complement to the IDF curves. Finally, the results were presented in technical forums in Nicaragua, with the objective of supporting policy decisions and investments in water management adapted to climate change.
Funded by
Nicaraguan Ministry of Finance and Economy (Swiss Cooperation funds)
