Climate Change and impacts on Water Supply CC-Waters (CC-WaterS)

Currently, the effect of climate change on water supply is already obvious in Hungary and further long-term change of the present situation can not be excluded. Since this problem is not only relevant in Hungary, 18 institutes from 9 countries (Hungary, Austria, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Italy and Greece) joined to implement CC-WaterS project (“Climate Change and Impacts on Water Supply”, European Territorial Cooperation – ETC Programme, South East Europe Transnational Cooperation Programme). The aim of the project was to investigate the expected risks and solutions of the water supply. The project began in 2009 and ended in the spring of 2012.

The coordinating beneficiary of the project was Vienna Waterworks, Municipality of Vienna. The Hungarian participating beneficiaries were General Directorate of Water Management and National Institute for Environment and SMARAGD-GSH Ltd. participated as subcontractor.

Climate change may affect water supply in several ways. The most important factor is the change of temperature and precipitation that modifies the recharge conditions of the subsurface aquifers and utility water resources. Climate change has an effect on the landuse that affects the quality and quantity conditions of the groundwater, the ecosystems and water demand.

The changes of temperature and precipitation and its consequences were estimated using A1B climate scenario. Based on the parameters of the test period-1961-1990-, the characterization of the changes was carried out for 2021-2050 and 2071 2100 time periods.

The aim of the project was to investigate the expected effects of the climate change on the water supply on waterworks level. Therefore two pilot areas were allocated in Hungary, the Bükk karst and Nyírség pilot area that consists of porous sediments where the operating conditions of the two waterworks (MIVÍZ Ltd. and NYÍRSÉGVÍZ Ltd.) could be investigated.