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The impact of climate change on the variability of local discharge was investigated in a glacierized high mountain catchment located in the source area of the Urumqi river, northwest China. We used past climate records to drive a hydrological model to simulate the discharge from 2000 to 2008. The model was then used to project future discharge variations for the period 2041-60, based on a regionally downscaled climate-change scenario combined with three stages of glacier coverage (i.e. compared to the glacier coverage in 2008): unchanged glacier size (100% glacierized), recession of half the glacier area (50% glacierized) and complete disappearance of glaciers (0% glacierized). In each scenario, snowmelt will begin half a month earlier and the discharge will increase in May. For the 100% glacierized scenario, the discharge will increase by 66 +/- 35% in a smaller (3.34 km(2)) and more glaciated (50%) catchment and 33 +/- 20% in a larger (28.90 km(2)) and proportionally less glaciated (18%) catchment. If the glacier area reduces by half, the discharge will decrease by 8 +/- 5% and 9 +/- 6%, respectively. Once the glacier disappears, the discharge will decrease by 58 +/- 20% and 40 +/- 13%, respectively. Together, the results indicate that a warming climate and the resulting glacier shrinkage will cause significant changes in the volume and timing of runoff.