WERI research informs study on Guam's future freshwater availability
If current climate conditions persist, Guam鈥檚 water resources are projected to diminish by 2080 due to an increase in average temperature and decrease in average rainfall.
This was the prediction that came out of a federally funded published on Sept. 30 that evaluates water resources on the island鈥檚 U.S. Department of Defense installations to determine how climate change and sea-level rise will affect freshwater availability.
The 91快播, through the research of John W. Jenson, director of UOG鈥檚 Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific and professor of hydrogeology, was a key contributor of the report along with U.S. Geological Survey鈥檚 Pacific Islands Water Science Center, the University of Hawai'i, The University of Texas, and the East-West Center.
Maps showing the distribution of mean annual groundwater recharge estimated for the
Northern Guam Lens Aquifer for historic and future climate conditions. Image from
U.S. Geological Survey report "Water Resources on Guam - Potential Impacts of and
Adaptive Response to Climate Change," Sept. 30, 2019.
The study examines Guam鈥檚 main freshwater resources 鈥 the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer and the Fena Valley Reservoir 鈥 and their sources of intake, from streams to groundwater. Using Guam鈥檚 climate history and future climate conditions informed by global climate models, the study noted several key projections for the future period of 2080鈥2099:
The downscaled climate models used in the study were funded by the UOG Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center, which also partially funded the report contributions made by Jenson and another a co-author.
鈥淲e are always willing to assist with critical research that can provide a glimpse of how Guam will be affected by a changing climate and sea-level rise,鈥 said Romina King, program director of the UOG Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center and vice chair of the Climate Change Resiliency Commission established this year by the governor. 鈥淲e support actionable science to better inform policymakers, water resource managers, and natural managers so that Guam can better adapt to this global phenomenon.鈥
The study was initiated and funded primarily through the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program of the U.S. Department of Defense.
The complete report and datasets detailing the projections and recommended courses of action can be found at .