Physical Impacts of Climate Change on Water Resources

This paper documents an initial study focused on understanding the physical impacts of climate change on water resources throughout the world. The research performed in this study is based on the application of an Integrated Assessment Model to quantify these impacts for a wide range of scenarios of socioeconomic development that offer a mix of possible futures for the availability, use, and management of water resources. Through this research and analysis, this study provides an integrated qualitative and quantitative understanding of the implications of several selected issues, including climate change and mitigation, and socioeconomic and technological developments, on water scarcity and water-energy-food interactions in a global context. The understanding gained through this analysis is expected to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on the sustainability of multiple human activities and their trajectories toward global development pathways.