Quantifying climate change impacts on hydropower production under CMIP6 multi-model ensemble projections using SWAT model

Abstract

This study assesses the effects of climate change on hydropower production in the most threatened highlands region of the Euphrates-Tigris Basin, with the case of the Dipni Project. This evaluation is based on the precipitation and temperature predictions of the multi-model ensembles produced by analysing the simulations of 24 global circulation models (GCMs) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6). The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model is utilized to estimate the future inflow rates of the Dipni reservoir under the Shared Socio-economic Pathway (SSP) scenarios of SSP245 and SSP585. The 25-year reservoir operations conducted in the past and three future periods indicate possible decreases of up to 10.1% and 21.5% in the annual energy production under the SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios, respectively. The results show the need to take adaptive measures against the projected impacts of climate change to achieve the targeted return for the coming decades.