The role of water and the hydrological cycle in global change

Water plays a crucial role in global environmental change, influencing various processes and leading to significant human and economic consequences. This NATO Advanced Study Institute aimed to provide a comprehensive assessment of water's role in global change, addressing atmospheric processes and the social and political impacts of alterations in water resources. Despite numerous recent initiatives, including international conferences and research programs, there was a need to consolidate information from these diverse activities. The ASI sought to promote interdisciplinary collaboration among those studying water within the global system. This book features expanded written versions of lectures from the ASI held in Italy in May/June 1994, divided into two main sections. The first twelve chapters focus on water's role in the climate system and climate modeling. Topics include global water balance, the influence of various components on regional and global climates, and methodologies for modeling hydrological processes across different scales. Discussions encompass precipitation, ice, lakes, groundwater, land surface, and atmospheric factors, along with the connections between hydrological processes and climate models. Ocean effects were intentionally excluded as they fell outside the scope of this ASI.