Page 21 - Çevre Şehir İklim İngilizce - Sayı 1

Zekâi Şen

This situation may affect the climate zones in Türkiye and lead Southern
regions to become drier. Its overall effect, especially in summer months, will
lead to the arid zones in the upper portion of the Arabic Peninsula and Syria to
occasionally merge with Türkiye’s Southeast Anatolia, Central Anatolia, and the
Aegean Regions, and thus dry weather might be more common and effective.
In the past (around 25-30 years ago), flood designs were made based on the
assumption that the hydrological and meteorological records would continue
on similar patterns in the future. Today, with the involvement of anthropogenic
effects in the equation, it has been concluded that past data cannot represent
future accurately. The past does not reflect the future anymore. In other words,
the parameters representing hydro-meteorological events of the past (rain,
floods, droughts, groundwater recharge, etc.) will not be able to represent the
patterns of future hydro-meteorological events. This can clearly be observed
in the recent upward trend in temperatures, the overall increase and at times,
decrease in the rain and flow records (Şen, 2017).
At this point, in addition to natural climate change, it’s important to note the
artificial causes of climate change (anthropogenic activities). In fact, climate
change with artificial causes has an impact on the duration, magnitude, and
severity of extreme weather events. The first type of meteorological drought
is permanent drought (in deserts, dry and semi-dry regions); the second
one is seasonal drought (astronomical effects); the third type is normal
drought (natural effects or climate change), and finally, the last and the most
unpredictable and dangerous one is the abnormal (random) drought.
In the IPCC (2001, 2007, 2013) reports, thousands of works are analyzed
by many well-known experts and hence, the effects of climate change are
determined concerning the relevant adaptation and exposure strategies in
terms of fresh water resources (Kundzewica et al 2007). Heat, evaporation
as well as the surface flow and groundwater recharge variations have been
determined in accordance with the changes in rainfall (Chiew, 2006). Through
identifying certain effects of climate change on hydrological processes,
projections on the future have also been made (Rozenzweig et al 2007). These
changes could be regional and seasonal. Figure 2 exhibits the future state of
target regions to be exposed to climate change as for water resources. This
figure has been prepared based on the results from various climate change
scenarios (Nohara et al 2006).

6 Journal of Environment, Urbanization and Climate,