VTEI / climate change

climate change

Water infiltration will help with heat, drought, and floods

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New predictions of climate change impacts in the Czech Republic show that rainfall will increase slightly in the future. However, in combination with the expected increase in temperature, evaporation will be higher, which will lead to long-term water shortage. Forecasts also say that rainfall will be distributed differently during the year, which in practice means that long periods of drought will alternate with sudden torrential rainfall. But this is nothing new. In the Czech Republic today, there is already a lack of water; it lies on the main European watershed, and we are therefore highly dependent on rainwater. In the past, unfortunately, we have modified cities and the countryside in such a way that rainwater was quickly diverted away – by channelling watercourses, by farming methods, and by creating sewers. Adaptation measures to climate change in the field of water management can significantly increase the sustainability of water resources, reduce the risk of floods, and ensure water even in times of drought.

Development of the RainWaterManager software tool

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Rainwater management is currently one of the frequently discussed topics in the further territorial development of towns and municipalities. The same question is also addressed in the context of climate change and its effect on already existing urban areas. Currently, the most common solution for the disposal of rainwater is its drainage using sewage systems. In connection with climate change, this concept of rainwater management is beginning to show its disadvantages. Rainwater is quickly drained away, which negatively affects moisture conditions in the urban landscape. The consequence of this is its drying and overheating. Another disadvantage is overloading of sewer networks during extreme rainfall events. The solution to eliminate these disadvantages can be an effort to retain the precipitation at the point of impact. However, this concept brings with it a number of questions: What measures can be used for this purpose? What are the spatial requirements for creating these measures? What is the price of their implementation? Can local government demand implementation of these measures by private investors? the answers to these questions are often not trivial and depend on the specific circumstances and the number of assessed criteria. Some help in this regard comes from the RainWaterManager software. This tool helps to choose appropriate measures for rainwater management, to estimate its effectiveness, spatial and economic requirements, and shows how their implementation can be promoted.

Drought warning system and local threshold limits

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Droughts and floods are extreme hydrological phenomena that are currently increasing in frequency due to the growing impact of climate change, and can have significant effects on our lives. Within the “PERUN” research project, an assessment of drought conditions and their development in the Czech Republic is being developed, along with the innovation of the warning system by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI). Drought is a natural phenomenon characterized by a gradual onset, long duration, and low dynamics, which requires a specific approach. The amendment to the Water Act introduces the obligation of regular reporting on drought and the establishment of a predictive service to be conducted by CHMI. Tools are being developed for long-term prediction of water resource conditions and a methodology for drought and water scarcity management plans. These plans aim to ensure water supply, protect the environment, and minimize the economic impacts. The decision-making body for issuing measures based on the drought plans is the Drought Commission, which operates at the regional level. The warning information is available on the HAMR web portal, which also displays local threshold limits for individual water resources.

„Water Centre“

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The research project of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic SS02030027 „Water systems and water management in the Czech Republic in conditions of climate change“, whose guarantor is the Ministry of the Environment, tries to answer the question of whether we will continue to have enough quality water. Climate change and the associated drought, as well as human behaviour and demands threaten water, and solutions must be sought for the immediate future.

Potential of areas protected for surface water storage to mitigate the impacts of climate change on drinking water supply

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In the Czech Republic, areas morphologically, geologically and hydrologically suitable for surface water storage to mitigate the adverse effects of floods and droughts are defined through the General Plan for Surface Water Accu-mulation Areas. In the context of climate change, these locations create potential for possible adaptation measures. This article describes the assessment of the potential of selected sites for water supply under climate change condi-tions by means of hydrological and water balance modelling.

Centrum Voda (Center Water)

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Centrum Voda je výzkumný projekt, který hledá řešení problémů vyplývajících z klimatické změny a jejího vlivu na vodní poměry. Snažíme se nalézat odpovědi na základní otázky, jestli dokážeme zajistit dostatek kvalitní vody nejen pro potřeby člověka, ale i pro naši krajinu, zda se zvládneme vyrovnat s přívalovými povodněmi a jak dále snižovat znečištění vodního prostředí.

Impact of climate change on runoff and development of forest composition in the coming decades in a selected river basin in Slovakia

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Climate change is a global phenomenon that affects changes in forest composition. Therefore, the article deals with changes in forest associations as a result of global climate changes. The aim of the research was estimation of change in forest associations under climate change on the runoff processes in the selected river basin. We used two land use scenarios with forest associations and two global climate change scenarios. Land use scenarios were created for the entire territory of the Slovak Republic by the Technical University of Zvolen. The outputs of the KNMI and MPI regional climate change models (both with A1B emission scenario) were used for this research. As a result of climate change, changes in forest composition can be expected.

The AdaptaN II Project – from words to action

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Over the last few years we have seen – let‘s not be afraid to say it – a flurry of different adaptation strategies, action plans, and other documents describing what to do to prepare for various problems, especially the impacts of climate change. It is therefore time to start fulfilling the ideas of the above-mentioned documents and putting them into practice. The project “Integrated Approaches of the Moravian-Silesian Region Landscape to Climate Change Adaptation” (abbreviated as AdaptaN II), which was launched in July 2021 and will last until 30 June 2024, also aims to contribute to the implementation of one of the above documents, namely the Adaptation Strategy of the Moravian-Silesian Region to the Impacts of Climate Change. This international Project is funded by the Norway Grants, „Bergen“ call for proposals, i.e. support for the implementation of selected nature-related adaptation and mitigation measures (the programme is administered by the State Environmental Fund of the Czech Republic).

Preservation of drinking water demand from water reservoirs in climate change conditions

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This study presents interim results of an evaluation of a potential climate change impact on the preservation of drinking water demand provided by water reservoirs in the timeframe of the year 2050. Hydrological and water sources and demands balance procedures have been applied, including modelling of the storage ability of water resources and water supply systems.

History and future development of rainfall-runoff characteristics on the outskirts of Prague

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This article is available in Czech only. For translation or more information on this topic, please contact author.   Souhrn Tento příspěvek prezentuje studii vývoje srážkoodtokových charakteristik v šesti povodích na okraji Prahy od roku 1920 s výhledem do roku 2050. Kvůli neexistujícímu dlouhodobému monitoringu bylo hodnocení provedeno prostřednictvím srážkoodtokového modelování v prostředí HEC-HMS. Klíčovým… Read more »

Project CZ.07.1.02/0.0/0.0/16_040/0000380 “Analysis of adaptation measures to mitigate impacts of climate change and urbanization on the water regime in the area of external Prague”

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 This article is available in Czech only. For translation or more information on this topic, please contact author. Rádi bychom vás seznámili se základními údaji o projektu, který byl řešen v období 2018–2020 v rámci operačního programu Praha – pól růstu. Za tímto textem jsou pak uvedeny články zabývající se již specifickými tématy, jež byla… Read more »

Changes in the hydrological balance caused by climate change impacts in the Karlovy Vary district

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In the Karlovy Vary district, areas with lack of drinking and industrial water were identified. Since 2015, in cooperation of TGM WRI, p. r. i., and state enterprise Povodí Ohře a project called „Increasing water resources availability in selected regions of Karlovy Vary district“ is financed