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Alpine Waters pp 59–69Cite as

Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources in the Alpine Regions of Switzerland

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Part of the book series: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry ((HEC,volume 6))

Abstract

Alpine regions have been and will be responding sensitively to global climate change compared to other European regions. This chapter analyses past and future changes in the climate of the Alps and its consequences on the elements of the water cycle. One obvious consequence is the melting of European glaciers by more than 65% since the end of the Little Ice Age in 1850. As a result of temperature increase hydrological regimes are changing. How will climate and water balance change in the future? Scenario results for the European Alps and in more detail for the Swiss Alps are discussed. Consequences in inner Alpine valleys are less precipitation in summer and hence more droughts.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Alexander Hermann for excellent support in preparing all figures of this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hydrology Group, Institute of Geography, Oeschger Center for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Bruno Schädler & Rolf Weingartner

Authors
  1. Bruno Schädler
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  2. Rolf Weingartner
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rolf Weingartner .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Wasserforschungsinstitut EAWAG, Überlandstr. 133, Dübendorf, 8600, Switzerland

    Ulrich Bundi

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Schädler, B., Weingartner, R. (2010). Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources in the Alpine Regions of Switzerland. In: Bundi, U. (eds) Alpine Waters. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry(), vol 6. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-88275-6_3

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