Predicting runoff and sediment yields using soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model in the Jemma Subbasin of Upper Blue Nile, Central Ethiopia
The Jemma Subbasin (JS) has a major soil erosion problem emanating from deforestation, overgrazing, and agricultural expansion, including farming of unproductive fringed lands and steep slope terrains. This study was conducted to assess runoff and estimate the subsequent sediment yields in the JS us...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Challenges |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667010023001294 |
| _version_ | 1797292865536131072 |
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| author | Negash Tamiru Zewde Mekuria Argaw Denboba Solomon Ayele Tadesse Yitea Seneshaw Getahun |
| author_facet | Negash Tamiru Zewde Mekuria Argaw Denboba Solomon Ayele Tadesse Yitea Seneshaw Getahun |
| author_sort | Negash Tamiru Zewde |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Jemma Subbasin (JS) has a major soil erosion problem emanating from deforestation, overgrazing, and agricultural expansion, including farming of unproductive fringed lands and steep slope terrains. This study was conducted to assess runoff and estimate the subsequent sediment yields in the JS using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The overall efficiency of the SWAT model to accurately estimate the sediment yields in the JS was evaluated by the values of its calibration (R2 = 0.66) and validation (R2 = 0.63), respectively. The findings of the SWAT model revealed that barren land was not only the most susceptible land use type to soil erosion, but also had the highest sediment loads followed by agricultural and grazing lands. In particular, the highest soil erosion coupled with significant sediment yields is attributed to the crop-growing period particularly in the months of July and August in which the cultivated lands were extremely vulnerable to soil erosion resulting from heavy rainfall. Consequently, sediment yields were all significantly greater in the agricultural fields of the lower, middle, and upper parts of the subbasin. This is because those agricultural lands were mainly composed of undulated and moderately steep slope terrains so that they had the highest soil erosion values. However, due to the dense vegetation cover and the associated root density, forestlands were the least erosion vulnerable land use type which in turn resulted in minimal soil loss. Furthermore, the SWAT model showed that the maximum upland sediment yield was estimated to be 3,685.14 tons/ha whereas the average upland annual sediment yield was predicted to be 78.1 tons/ha; however, the sediment yield can be doubled due to climate projection scenario. As a result of the effective implementation of cover (c) and conservation practice (p), the SWAT model predicted that the sediment yields can be reduced by 44.28 % and 35.92 % for RCP8.5 and RCP4.5, respectively. Effective designing and executing of proper soil and water management measures are crucial in the study subbasin so as to minimize the serious soil erosion challenges that can be accelerated by climate and land use land cover (LULC) changes for the long-term sustainability of the degraded landscape of the JS which is categorized by subsistence farming. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T20:03:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-08d43a84f82f46968bb01b51d389422d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2667-0100 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T20:03:44Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Challenges |
| spelling | doaj.art-08d43a84f82f46968bb01b51d389422d2024-02-28T05:14:20ZengElsevierEnvironmental Challenges2667-01002024-01-0114100806Predicting runoff and sediment yields using soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model in the Jemma Subbasin of Upper Blue Nile, Central EthiopiaNegash Tamiru Zewde0Mekuria Argaw Denboba1Solomon Ayele Tadesse2Yitea Seneshaw Getahun3Department of Plant Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences, Debre Berhan University, P. O. Box 445, Debre Berhan, EthiopiaDepartment of Environmental Science, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P. O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaDepartment of Natural Resources Management, College of Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences, Debre Berhan University, P. O. Box 445, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia; Corresponding author.Department of Natural Resources Management, College of Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences, Debre Berhan University, P. O. Box 445, Debre Berhan, EthiopiaThe Jemma Subbasin (JS) has a major soil erosion problem emanating from deforestation, overgrazing, and agricultural expansion, including farming of unproductive fringed lands and steep slope terrains. This study was conducted to assess runoff and estimate the subsequent sediment yields in the JS using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The overall efficiency of the SWAT model to accurately estimate the sediment yields in the JS was evaluated by the values of its calibration (R2 = 0.66) and validation (R2 = 0.63), respectively. The findings of the SWAT model revealed that barren land was not only the most susceptible land use type to soil erosion, but also had the highest sediment loads followed by agricultural and grazing lands. In particular, the highest soil erosion coupled with significant sediment yields is attributed to the crop-growing period particularly in the months of July and August in which the cultivated lands were extremely vulnerable to soil erosion resulting from heavy rainfall. Consequently, sediment yields were all significantly greater in the agricultural fields of the lower, middle, and upper parts of the subbasin. This is because those agricultural lands were mainly composed of undulated and moderately steep slope terrains so that they had the highest soil erosion values. However, due to the dense vegetation cover and the associated root density, forestlands were the least erosion vulnerable land use type which in turn resulted in minimal soil loss. Furthermore, the SWAT model showed that the maximum upland sediment yield was estimated to be 3,685.14 tons/ha whereas the average upland annual sediment yield was predicted to be 78.1 tons/ha; however, the sediment yield can be doubled due to climate projection scenario. As a result of the effective implementation of cover (c) and conservation practice (p), the SWAT model predicted that the sediment yields can be reduced by 44.28 % and 35.92 % for RCP8.5 and RCP4.5, respectively. Effective designing and executing of proper soil and water management measures are crucial in the study subbasin so as to minimize the serious soil erosion challenges that can be accelerated by climate and land use land cover (LULC) changes for the long-term sustainability of the degraded landscape of the JS which is categorized by subsistence farming.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667010023001294Conservation practiceRunoffSediment yieldsSWATSubbasin management |
| spellingShingle | Negash Tamiru Zewde Mekuria Argaw Denboba Solomon Ayele Tadesse Yitea Seneshaw Getahun Predicting runoff and sediment yields using soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model in the Jemma Subbasin of Upper Blue Nile, Central Ethiopia Environmental Challenges Conservation practice Runoff Sediment yields SWAT Subbasin management |
| title | Predicting runoff and sediment yields using soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model in the Jemma Subbasin of Upper Blue Nile, Central Ethiopia |
| title_full | Predicting runoff and sediment yields using soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model in the Jemma Subbasin of Upper Blue Nile, Central Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Predicting runoff and sediment yields using soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model in the Jemma Subbasin of Upper Blue Nile, Central Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Predicting runoff and sediment yields using soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model in the Jemma Subbasin of Upper Blue Nile, Central Ethiopia |
| title_short | Predicting runoff and sediment yields using soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model in the Jemma Subbasin of Upper Blue Nile, Central Ethiopia |
| title_sort | predicting runoff and sediment yields using soil and water assessment tool swat model in the jemma subbasin of upper blue nile central ethiopia |
| topic | Conservation practice Runoff Sediment yields SWAT Subbasin management |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667010023001294 |
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