Sensitivity assessment of the impacts of climate change on streamflow using climate elasticity in Tigris River Basin, Iraq

• Published in: International journal of environmental studies Vol. 76; no. 1; pp. 7 - 28
• Main Author: Al-Hasani, Alaa A. J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Routledge 02.01.2019; Gordon and Breach Science Publishers
• Subjects: Aridity; Catchments; Climate change; climate elasticity; Elasticity; Environmental assessment; Environmental impact; Environmental science; Environmental studies; Evapotranspiration; Precipitation; Rainfall; River basins; Rivers; Sensitivity; Sensitivity analysis; Stream discharge; Stream flow; streamflow; Surface water; Tigris River Basin; Water resources; Tigris River; Iraq
• ISSN: 0020-7233; 1029-0400
• DOI: 10.1080/00207233.2018.1494924

The Tigris River Basin (TRB) is one of the main surface water resources for Iraq. The study investigates the sensitivity of streamflow to precipitation and potential evapotranspiration (ET) through using the climate elasticity concept in TRB inside Iraq. The results indicated that: (1) Streamflow was more sensitive to precipitation in Mediterranean catchments than in semi-arid catchments, and it was more sensitive to ET in semi-arid catchments than in Mediterranean catchments in TRB. (2) Over the last four decades, precipitation elasticity of streamflow ( ) values show an obvious increasing trend for most of the TRB catchments as the 1990s and 2000s had the highest values compared to the 1970s and 1980s, suggesting that streamflow is becoming more sensitive to precipitation, and the precipitation-streamflow relationship has changed. The findings of this study can help for the development of vulnerability assessment and climate change adaptation strategies in Iraq.