Kant et al. (2026) Climate change-driven hydroclimatic shifts and energy prospects: Insights from a snow-fed river basin in Western Himalaya

Identification

• Journal: Progress in Physical Geography Earth and Environment
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-02-27
• Authors: Chander Kant, Ray Singh Meena, Supriya Singh, Praveen Kumar Thakur, Ashutosh Sharma
• DOI: 10.1177/03091333261428549

Research Groups

• International Centre of Excellence for Dams, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India
• Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, India
• K. Banerjee Centre of Atmospheric and Ocean Studies, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, India
• Water Resources Department, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun, India
• Department of Hydrology, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India

Short Summary

This study assesses the hydrological response and hydropower potential in the data-scarce Upper Beas River basin in the Western Himalaya under future climate change scenarios, finding increasing trends in precipitation, streamflow, and hydropower potential throughout the 21st century, alongside a shift in snowmelt contribution.

Objective

• To assess the hydrological response and hydropower potential in the Upper Beas River basin, a data-scarce Himalayan watershed, under various climate change scenarios.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Upper Beas River basin, Western Himalaya.
• Temporal Scale: Future timescale, throughout the 21st century.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model; ensemble of 13 General Circulation Models (GCMs) for climate change scenarios.
• Data sources: Gridded precipitation data, station streamflow observations.

Main Results

• An increasing trend in precipitation and streamflow was observed across all climate scenarios.
• The increase in streamflow was disproportionate across different seasons, linked to changes in seasonal flow components.
• Monsoon flows are projected to increase due to higher rainfall.
• A shift in snowmelt contribution from late spring to early spring was identified.
• The 75th, 95th, and 99th percentile exceedance probabilities of daily extreme events showed a higher frequency in the future.
• Hydropower potential in the catchments indicated an increasing trend throughout the 21st century.

Contributions

• This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of various climate change scenarios, enhancing the understanding of their potential impacts on the hydrological cycle in a data-scarce Himalayan watershed.
• It specifically addresses the implications for water and energy security in fragile mountain ecosystems.

Funding

• Not explicitly stated in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Kant2026Climate,
  author = {Kant, Chander and Meena, Ray Singh and Singh, Supriya and Thakur, Praveen Kumar and Sharma, Ashutosh},
  title = {Climate change-driven hydroclimatic shifts and energy prospects: Insights from a snow-fed river basin in Western Himalaya},
  journal = {Progress in Physical Geography Earth and Environment},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1177/03091333261428549},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/03091333261428549}
}