Local climate change projections and impact on the surface hydrology in the Vea catchment, West Africa

Water security has been a major challenge in the semi-arid area of West Africa including Northern Ghana, where climate change is projected to increase if appropriate measures are not taken. This study assessed rainfall and temperature projections and its impact on the water resources in the Vea catchment using an ensemble mean of four bias-corrected Regional Climate Models and Statistical Downscaling Model-Decision Centric (SDSM-DC) simulations. The ensemble mean of the bias-corrected climate simulations was used as input to an already calibrated and validated Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, to assess the impact of climate change on actual evapotranspiration (ET), surface runoff and water yield, relative to the baseline (1990–2017) period. The results showed that the mean annual temperature and actual ET would increase by 1.3 °C and 8.3%, respectively, for the period 2020–2049 under the medium CO2 emission (RCP4.5) scenario, indicating a trend towards a drier climate. The surface runoff and water yield are projected to decrease by 42.7 and 38.7%, respectively. The projected decrease in water yield requires better planning and management of the water resources in the catchment. HIGHLIGHTS Variations in the mean annual rainfall projection over the catchment were found, with 66 and 33% of the models indicating an increase and decrease, respectively, during the rainy season.; The near future (2020–2049) climate under RCP4.5 scenario shows a warmer climate in the Vea catchment, with dry season temperature projections higher than the rainy season.; Surface runoff and water yield are projected to decrease by 42.7 and 38.7%, respectively, in the future period 2020–2049. This would require water resource commission to plan and manage the water resources well at the catchment.;