4.10 Climate change impacts on water quality
In developing countries, the biological quality of water is poor due to the lack of sanitation and proper treatment methods and poor health conditions (WHO, 2004). Vulnerabilities are related to a lack of relevant information. The Freshwater chapter in the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (Kundzewicz et al., 2007) was unable to consider the impacts of climate change on water quality in great detail. Estimated changes in air temperature and rainfall could influence river flows and, consequently, the mobility and strength of contaminants. Amplified water temperatures will affect chemical reaction kinetics and, combined with deteriorations in quality, freshwater ecological status. With increased flows there will be changes in stream power and …show more content…
Increasing nutrients and sediments due to higher runoff, coupled with lower water levels, will negatively affect water quality (Hamilton et al., 2001). Furthermore, higher water temperatures will enhance the transfer of volatile substance from surface water bodies to the atmosphere (Schindler, 2001). There is no doubt climate change impact is not limited to the water quantity but also correlated in terms of water quality. Regrettably, there are no studies analyzing the impact of climate change on biological water quality from the developing countries, where low-quality water is used for irrigation (WHO/UNICEF, 2000). Nepal one of the least developing with high climate change impact and there is hardly any study carried out about the water quality and climate change. However, Water quality hazards related events increasing annually. It is very essential to know the probable impacts of climate change on water quality, so that good advice on the likely impacts can be given and used by policy makers. At present, to predict the level and likelihood of climate change impacts on water quality is tough work as a result of the wide range of natural