Climate change and catchment hydrology

Climate change is expected to alter catchment hydrology through changes in extremes of flooding and drought. River catchments are complex, dynamic systems and it is important to develop our understanding of how these systems are likely to respond to changes in climate. Work is ongoing in using EC-Earth simulations to further our understanding of how climate change will affect catchment hydrology and flood risk. In Ireland, the importance of this task is emphasised given the widespread socio-economic impacts of recent flood events. This chapter reviews recent Irish research concerning the hydrological impacts of climate change