What are WaSSI's Significant Findings?
Based on the model's results, the WaSSI development team has drawn some general conclusions about projections of future water availability in the United States, including:
- Southern forests are among the top providers of water supply and carbon sequestration in the nation due to favorable climate conditions in the region for forest growth.
- Water supplies in many parts of the United States are likely to decline under future climate change due to increases in air temperature and declines in precipitation.
- Regardless of climate change, population growth will cause water stress problems in metropolitan areas.
- Predicted land use and land cover changes will have little effect on water quantity and water supply and demand relationships at the regional scale. However, these impacts can be significant for certain watersheds that have high degrees of change in land cover.
- Water stress is seasonal, with stress being highest in summer months when demand is high (mainly for irrigation) and supply is low. Reduction of water use by irrigation and domestic sectors can have a big impact on reduction of water stress.
- Predictions of future water resources are uncertain due to uncertainty of climate change directions, especially for the Eastern United States.
