TITLE:
Climate and Water Balance Changes in the Kinneret Watershed: A Review
AUTHORS:
Moshe Gophen
KEYWORDS:
Kinneret, Hula, Watershed, Climate Change, Water Balance, Agriculture
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Modern Hydrology,
Vol.10 No.2,
April
8,
2020
ABSTRACT: Regional Climate Change studied during 1950-2019
aimed at enhancement of aridity was indicated recently in the Lake Kinneret
(Israel) watershed. Climate change was indicated by: Higher periodical
frequency of negative SPI Values (Standard Precipitation Index), decline of
Precipitation regime and River flow inputs that was followed by decline of Lake
Kinneret WL and Elevation of ET regime. Nevertheless aridity enhanced the
opposite, decline of ET capacities. Underground flows indicated outputs
enhancement. The temporal decline of air
temperature during 1940-1980 probably due to the change of ALBEDO Factor
was twisted later into regional temperature elevation. During the 1950s, old lake Hula and surrounding wetlands were
drained and water cover surface was converted to plant cover, which
enhanced sunlight energy reflection. Followed eventual climate change,
management legislations were a reduction of water allocation for agricultural
irrigation. A recent public dispute has indicated contradicted conclusions as
causation for WL decline in Lake Kinneret: 1) Enhancement of Agricultural water
consumption in the Upper Jordan Watershed and 2) Climate change-aridity enhancement. This
paper confirms the
second conclusion.