Impact of changes in climate and glacier configurations on runoff from the Langtang River basin, Nepal

Pradhananga, Dhiraj; Manandhar, Susa; Dhungana, Bharat; Chaulagain, Manavi; Dhakal, Bhola Nath; Adhikary, Sunil

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-387-9-2024

Articles | Volume 387

https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-387-9-2024

© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/piahs-387-9-2024

© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 387

Post-conference publication

|

18 Nov 2024

Post-conference publication |

| 18 Nov 2024

Impact of changes in climate and glacier configurations on runoff from the Langtang River basin, Nepal

Dhiraj Pradhananga, Susa Manandhar, Bharat Dhungana, Manavi Chaulagain, Bhola Nath Dhakal, and Sunil Adhikary

Data sets

Meteorological data from Kyanging automatic weather station ICIMOD https://doi.org/10.26066/RDS.22464

Discharge: Langtang Khola ICIMOD and Utrecht University https://doi.org/10.26066/RDS.1972407

The WFDEI Meteorological Forcing Data G. P. Weedon et al. https://doi.org/10.5065/486N-8109

Model code and software

CRHM: Cold Regions Hydrological Model (Version 1.3.5) Centre for Hydrology https://github.com/srlabUsask/crhmcode/releases/tag/release_v1.3.5

Modelling CRHM: The Cold Regions Hydrological Model Centre for Hydrology https://research-groups.usask.ca/hydrology/modelling/crhm.php

Short summary

Climate change is rapidly altering Himalayan glaciers, affecting water resources. This study investigates the impact of changing air temperature, precipitation, and glacier configuration on streamflow in the Langtang River basin using a process-based glacio-hydrological model and bias-corrected reanalysis data. Results show increased runoff with current glacier conditions but decreased total streamflow under future deglaciation scenarios, emphasizing the need for adaptation strategies.