A potential consequence and feedback of climate change is the intensification of the global and continental scale hydrological cycle. Predictions from general circulation models (GCMs) indicate that there may be increases in precipitation over many land areas, higher evaporation due to elevated temperatures and increased moisture availability and subsequent changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of soil water and snow pack storage. Determining whether increases in precipitation are due to an increase in recycling of water via faster evaporation or through an increase in advected water from outside the area is central to our understanding of hydrologic cycle acceleration. This study analyses the precipitation recycling regime within a number of large basins using data from simulations of future climate scenarios from 2 different GCMs (PCM and ECHAM). Results are shown for the Amazon, Mackenzie and the Mississippi basins to show the range of response between regions in different climatic zones and atmospheric circulation patterns.