Hydro-BID Case Study No. 5: Impact of Climate Change on Proposed Water Investments in Chalpi Basin, Ecuador

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Date
Feb 2017
This is the fifth case study of the "Hydro-BID Applications" series and analyzes the potential effect of changes in average precipitation and temperature on streamflow, especially as it may affect proposed water investment infrastructure projects, in the Chalpi River Basin, Ecuador. EPMAPS (Quito’s Metropolitan Public Water and Sanitation Company) is planning the Proyectos Rios Orientales (PRO, Oriental River Projects), a major infrastructure program to meet Quito’s future water needs. As part of the PRO, the Ramal Chalpi Grande Papallacta project will establish water intake points in the Chalpi Basin. EPMAPS requested assistance to develop a hydrologic model for the basin using recent flow data and to simulate future flows to the year 2050, under the influence of projected changes in climate using Hydro-BID. EPMAPS is using results from this effort to evaluate whether changes in climate are likely to significantly reduce future flows at the proposed intake points.