Learning objectives
The course aims to provide the basic knowledge about climate change, possible hydrological scenarios and the consequences on the availability of water resources.
Knowledge and understanding:
By the end of the course, and after passing the exam, students should be able to identify the causes of climate change, understand the hydrological processes and fundamental variables, know the main indices of water scarcity and abundance, possess the basic concepts on climate models and their use in order to evaluate the future availability of the water resource.
Applying knowledge:
The students must be able to deal with the analysis of the fundamental hydrological quantities and the calculation of water scarcity and abundance indices. It will also have to have mastery of climate models on a general and regional scale and of their use to evaluate the impacts on the hydrological regime.
Communication skills:
The student must develop the ability to present their ideas clearly by correctly using the technical terminology object of the course.
Learning ability:
The completion of the course should allow the student he student not only to develop specific knowledge on climate change and its impacts on the hydrological regime but also to begin to deepen the interdisciplinary nature of the topics covered.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites are required.
Course unit content
The course aims to provide basic knowledge about the influence of climate change on the hydrological cycle with particular reference to the current and future availability of water resources.
Specifically, the following topics will be dealt with:
- Generalities on climate and climate change.
- Hydrological processes and fundamental hydrological quantities.
- Indices of water scarcity and abundance.
- General (GCM) and Regional (RCM) climate models.
- Impacts of climate change on the hydrological regime and on water resources.
- Mitigation policies and adaptation strategies.
Full programme
- Generalities on climate and climate change: introduction to the climate system and its components; causes and drivers of anthropogenic climate change.
- Hydrological processes and fundamental hydrological quantities: precipitation, temperature and flow rates in watercourses. Monitoring, treatment and analysis of climatic data on a local scale; natural variability and identification of trends.
- Indices of water scarcity and abundance representative of the climate and hydrological conditions of a given territory: Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Standardized Precipitation Evaporation Index (SPEI), Standardized Discharge Index (SDI), etc.
- General (GCM) and Regional (RCM) climate models and future climate projections. History and role of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), future scenario of greenhouse gas concentration. Expected changes in temperatures and precipitation: projections, uncertainties and downscaling methods.
- Impacts of climate change on the hydrological regime and on water resources in the short, medium and long term.
- Mitigation policies and adaptation strategies with particular reference to the future availability of water resources.
Bibliography
Copy of the lecture slides. The material will be available on the web site “elly”.
Il clima è (già) cambiato. 9 buone notizie sul cambiamento climatico. Nuova ediz. Stefano Caserini. Edizioni Ambiente.
Teaching methods
The course is structured in two parts: theory and practice exercises. The theory of the course will be illustrated by means of slides. For the part of practical exercises conducted with the students, PCs or calculators will be used.
Assessment methods and criteria
The examination is based on an oral exam. The exam will focus on the theoretical notions, the classroom exercises and ability to apply the learned skills to original problems; the clarity in presenting the topics and the correct use of technical terms will also be assessed. The qualification will be scored applying a scale of 30/30th where the minimum to pass is considered 18 and the higher score is 30 cum laude.
Other information
Lecture attendance is highly recommended.
