Assessment of the Effects Climate Variability and Land Use Changes on Hydrology Meuse River Basin

This study seeks to elucidate the response of a large river basin (the Meuse in northwest Europe) to climate variability and land use change. A synoptic-climatological analysis examines the observed precipitation change in the basin. The findings are valuable to those developing flood protection strategies. Anthropogenic climate change may lead to intensification of the global hydrological cysle and to increased flooding risk of rivers across Europe. A series of extreme floods in European rivers in the last decades have stimulated discussions about the possible effects of climate variability/change and human interventions in river basins. A synoptic-climatological analysis was carried out to elucidate the observed precipitation change in the Meuse basin, in northwestern Europe. The findings of this research will be valuable to those developing improved flood protection strategies, as well as those engaged in water resource management in river basins similar to the Meuse.