ABSTRACT
There is strong consensus in the scientific community today that the climate system of the earth is undergoing significant change, as key sources of uncertainty have continued to decline over time. Furthermore, anthropogenic forcings (i.e., increases in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases that originate from human activities) from greenhouse gas emissions and large-scale landscape change explain far more of the trend observed in the last two decades than do natural forcings (Solomon et al. 2007; Stott et al. 2000). The rate and degree of future change will therefore depend in large part on emerging mitigation and adaptation policies. However, even with aggressive mitigation at a global scale, we will likely experience change by the middle of this century that will result in significant impacts to both natural and human systems (Solomon et al. 2007). This chapter examines potential impacts to water resources in Minnesota from ongoing and expected climate change and suggests policy implications that will require adaptation of management systems and infrastructure.
