Climate change and water

You look up at the sky and see dark clouds. You watch as big raindrops begin to hit the ground. You’ve heard that the climate is getting drier and hotter, so what’s with the rain? The rain is an example of weather, not climate. Weather is a short-term event, while climate is the average weather conditions over a long period of time. The term climate change is used to discuss long-term changes. Climate change affects water in many ways.

Two extremes

Currently, climate change is making both droughts and floods more likely and worse. Since 2000, flood-related disasters have increased by 134% and droughts have increased by 29% around the world. Changes in the climate make this trend likely to continue. The atmosphere can hold more moisture when it is warmer. This can lead to more heavy rains and storms but can also make areas drier when more water is evaporated.

Both heavy precipitation events and the amount of land in extreme drought are expected to increase as climate change gets worse. Climate change also increases water scarcity in some regions. Changes in precipitation patterns mean that storms may be bigger, but there may be more time between them. 

While a lot of rain comes down in heavy storms, much of that water rolls over the surface rather than becoming groundwater. This is because the ground can only absorb so much water at a time. As the climate changes, there are also changes in how much precipitation falls as snow or as rain, which can greatly impact water availability.

Water quality is also affected by climate change. As warming seas and melting glaciers cause sea levels to rise, groundwater near the coast may become salty. More floods can increase water pollution as water picks up contaminants as it rushes through streets and crop fields. 

A delicate balance

Living organisms depend on water, and while you might be used to having enough water, that’s not the case everywhere or for all living things. And reduced water levels don’t just change the amount of water available. They can also disrupt the delicate balance found in some ecosystems within bodies of water. 

In the Grand Canyon in Arizona, a non-native, predatory species of fish has been found in the Colorado River. Normally, these smallmouth bass don’t enter the lower, cold waters of Glen Lake, which keeps them out of the dam passageway. But the lower lake levels in Glen Canyon warmed the water along that route, which allowed the fish to reach the Colorado River and survive. The smallmouth bass could harm native fish in the canyon. This is just one example of how changes in water availability can have deep effects on our ecosystems.

Carbon footprint

Climate change has widespread impacts on Earth’s water and ecosystems. Human-driven climate change is mainly caused by an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Everyone has a “carbon footprint” based on how much carbon dioxide is produced by our actions.

While climate change is a big issue that can feel difficult to tackle, it’s not too late to take action. You can speak up about climate change by contacting your government representative and talking with your friends and family. You can also take steps to reduce your carbon footprint. You could consider walking or biking places instead of taking a car, using less plastic, or planting plants that are native to your area. 

Saving water is also a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, since moving water and warming water uses electricity. Perhaps most importantly, we can also each decide what types of industries to support and what products to avoid. Decide what action you can take today to help our planet. 

Water conservation game

Want to learn more about how you can conserve water? You might start by figuring out all the things that use water in your daily life. In this choice-based game, you’ll test different ways to conserve water. You’ll discover which actions make the biggest impact and learn fun conservation tips along the way.

Play Water Conservation Game.

Additional images via Wikimedia Commons. Flooded road and buildings by Rachelle Blake.