Comparison of bias correction methods to regional climate model simulations for climate change projection in Muger Subbasin, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the best performed bias correction methods to simulate the regional climate models for future climate change projections in Muger Subbasin. Delta change methods perform very good with a coefficient of correlation of 0.99 and a percent of bias –3. When we compare its corrected simulation result with observed data, delta change method seems to be with no biases for maximum temperature, but it increases by 1.67 °C from the mean for minimum temperature of 0.39 and 38.41 mm for monthly and annual precipitation, respectively. Delta change methods underestimate the model result for both temperature and precipitation. Linear scaling and variance scaling methods overestimate the maximum temperature of the simulation by 0.002 and 0.004 °C amount from the mean of the observed data, but it underestimates 1.59 and 1.56 °C the minimum temperature, respectively. The long-term temperature projection values (2060–2090) are higher than the near-term projections (2030–2060) for both RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios. Similarly, the change in annual precipitation for the long-term is higher than the near-term projections. As a conclusion, the results draw attention to the fact that bias-adjusted regional climate models data are crucial for the provision of local climate change impact studies in the Muger Subbasin.