Friederike SCHÄFER, M.Sc.

The MOSAIC project aims to investigate the impacts of expanded irrigation in South Asia on the hydrological cycle, near-surface temperatures, and atmospheric circulation, with a focus on the South Asian monsoon. Building on previous research in Central Asia, the project plans to implement and improve the regional climate model (RCM) REMO, particularly by integrating a more complex irrigation scheme adapted to new soil and vegetation models. High-resolution simulations (12 km) are conducted to evaluate the impact of these improvements on monsoon dynamics, including extreme weather events. In addition, convection-resolving simulations with a 3-km resolution will investigate the local impacts of irrigation and land-use changes. Statistical analyses will evaluate model performance and potential climate change signals, applying corrections for model biases to improve the accuracy of the results. Overall, MOSAIC aims to advance regional climate modeling and improve the understanding of the South Asian monsoon under changing climate conditions.