Author(s): Vladimir Moya Quiroga Gomez; Akira Mano; Yoshihiro Asaoka; Keiko Udo; Shuichi Kure; Javier Mendoza
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Keywords: Hydrologic modelling; Semi-distributed model; Glacier; Wetland; Lake storage
Abstract: The Condoriri glacier is closely related to the water supply of the La Paz - El Alto conurbation. This is a complex basin in a mountainous glacierized area with altitudes above 4400 meters above sea level in the Bolivian Andes. In the upstream it has steep slopes receiving melt water from the Andean glaciers and in the downstream it is a combination of bare ground areas and impoundment areas that regulates the discharge storing water during high floods and releasing water during low flows. Considering that glacier retreat may affect the water resources availability is important to analyze the hydrological response of the basin under climate change scenarios. Development of a hydrological model that simulates water discharges in this dynamic glacierized basin is a key step for predicting and analyzing future water scenarios. The present research describes the framework and application of the semidistributed Supertank model, and its application to the Condoriri basin. The current Supertank model was improved by considering different hydrological responses for glacier and impoundment areas. Results show that the model satisfactorily predicts the runoff and the total water availability. However, it overpredicts the discharge at the end of dry season. This overestimation is due to the effect of the Chiar Kota lake, since at the end of the dry season it has low water levels and stores water from the early rains of the new season. Such result may indicate that if current glacier melting water is greater than the lake storage, future water discharge may be reduced and completely regulated by the Chiar Kota lake. This research is developed within the framework of GRANDE project (Glacier Retreat impact Assessment and National policy Development) financed by SATREPS of JST-JICA
Year: 2013