Modelling the impact of climate change on hydrological systems in Western Australia to inform managers

Based on climate data from Western Australia, this report assesses future local hydrological responses to land use and climate change impacts through models of two connected lakes and the catchments that support them. It focuses on the potential impact on local hydrology of the significant rainfall reduction trend in Western Australia in recent years. For watershed modeling, the change of daily runoff coefficient due to urbanization is predicted. For lake modeling, runoff, rainfall, and evaporation obtained from upstream catchments are used to simulate changes in lake storage and water levels. The Global climate model (GCM) is used to change rainfall and evaporation data from the basic model to obtain forecast models and observe future changes in lake water storage and water level. In addition, the shortcomings of the existing model are discussed, and the possibility of improving the model and the next steps are proposed. The research will provide important insights into water management in regional Western Australia to address the growing challenge of climate change.