Browse by author
Lookup NU author(s): Dr Anna MurgatroydORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Severe droughts can result in shortages of water supplies, with widespread social and economic consequences. Here we use a coupled simulation model to assess the reliability of public water supplies in England, in the context of changing scenarios of water demand, water regulation and climate change. The coupled simulation model combines climate simulations, a national-scale hydrological model and a national-scale water resource systems model to demonstrate how extreme meteorological droughts translate into hydrological droughts and water shortages for water users. We use this model to explore the effectiveness of strategic water resource options that are being planned in England to secure water supplies to most of England's population up to a drought return period of 1 in 500 years. We conclude that it is possible to achieve a 1-in-500-years standard in locations where strategic resource options are used, while also reducing water abstraction to restore the aquatic environment. However, the target will be easier to achieve if effective steps are also taken to reduce water demand.
Author(s): Murgatroyd A, Gavin H, Becher O, Coxon G, Hunt D, Fallon E, Wilson J, Cuceloglu G, Hall JW
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society A Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
Year: 2022
Volume: 380
Issue: 2238
Print publication date: 12/12/2022
Online publication date: 24/10/2022
Acceptance date: 30/08/2022
Date deposited: 24/05/2024
ISSN (print): 1364-503X
ISSN (electronic): 1471-2962
Publisher: The Royal Society Publishing
URL: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2021.0292
DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2021.0292
Data Access Statement: The Weather@home2 data are available at https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/22/611/2018/. The DECIPHeR model is available from https://gmd.copernicus.org/articles/12/2285/2019/. The WREW model cannot be made available because of commercial limitations by English water companies. Additional data and results are provided in the electronic supplementary material https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6189670
Notes: Part of Royal Society Science+ meeting issue ‘Drought risk in the Anthropocene’
Altmetrics provided by Altmetric
