Effects of Global Climate Change on Water Resources in Rwanda: Lake Kivu Case Study

Abstract:

Climate change is emerging as one of the most miscellaneous expressions of the global change nowadays. It potentially affects ecosystems including water resources. The change of climate also has significant impacts on the availability of water, as well as the quality and quantity of water that is available and accessible. Aiming at studying the effect of climate change on water resources, 25 years collected secondary data of both climatic and hydro-meteorological stations were used and Statistical analysis was performed using ORIGIN PRO 8.0 Software. The study linked the surface elevation of Lake Kivu variation with respect to climate change where the level of the lake matches to pluviometric and anomalies values. Finally, the statistical analysis could not directly link the temperature variation with that of surface water level in the lake. Climate change is real and happening now and surely affects water resources among others making an urgent need to control anthropogenic inputs into the atmosphere, one of the factors forcing climate change.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volumes 55-57)
• Pages: 268-271
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.55-57.268
• Online since: May 2011
• Authors: Gabriel Habiyaremye, Ji Wen Ge, Jean de la Paix Mupenzi, Waheed O. Balogun, Sitienei Anne Jerop
• Keywords: Global Climate, Lake Kivu, Precipitation, Temperature, Water Resource

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