The impact of climate change on water and energy security

Abstract

The interdependent fundamental systems, water and energy, face abundant challenges, one of which is climate change, which is expected to aggravate water and energy securities. The hydropower industry’s benefits have led to its development and growth around the world. Nonetheless, climate change is expected to disturb the future performance of hydropower plants. This study looks at the Seimareh Hydropower Plant to assess the potential vulnerability of hydropower plants to climate change. Results indicate that climate change will affect the area’s hydrological variables and suggest an increase in temperatures and decrease in precipitation during a 30-year future period (2040–2069). It is predicted that Seimareh Dam’s inflow will decrease by between 5.2% and 13.4% in the same period. These hydrological changes will affect the Seimareh plant’s performance: current predictions are that the total energy produced will decrease by between 8.4% and 16.3%. This research indicates the necessity of considering climate change impacts in designing and maintaining hydraulic structures to reach their optimal performance. © IWA Publishing 2020