Food Security in Changing Cimate – A Hydrologic Modelling Approach

Session: 35. - Watershed Modeling across all Scales from Small to Large

Saranya Jeyalakshmi, [email protected]
Vinod Chilkoti, University of Windsor, [email protected]
Tirupati Bolisetti, University of Windsor, [email protected]
Adnan Rajib, EPA , [email protected]
Ram Balachandar, University of Windsor, [email protected]

Abstract

Agricultural water management plays a vital role in the food production and food security. The increased crop production in Canada is being viewed as a source to meet the food production shortage in other parts of the world. The alterations in precipitation and temperature due to climate change can significantly impact crop growth in a region. Quantifying the hydrological response to the changing climate is critical for the proper management of water resources and hence assessing the crop productivity. In this context, the present work investigates the effects of climate change on biophysical and hydrological conditions in the upper sub-catchments of the Nith River in Southern Ontario. The water budget and crop yield assessment for the watershed is carried out through the process-based semi-distributed hydrologic  model Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The model is calibrated and validated for hydrology and followed by validation for the crop yield. An ensemble approach is adopted to evaluate the impacts of temporal variations in the climate on the water and crop yield. The results indicate an increase in annual crop production for wheat and soy and decrease for corn from baseline to future scenario. The outcome of the current study can assist policy

1. Keyword
climate change

2. Keyword
hydrologic budget

4. Additional Keyword
food security

5. Additional Keyword
watershed modeling