Evaluation of the impacts of land use/cover changes on water balance of Bilate watershed, Rift valley basin, Ethiopia
Land use/cover change is one of the factors responsible for changing the water balance of the watershed by altering the magnitude of surface runoff, interflow, base flow, and evapotranspiration. This study was aimed at evaluating the impacts of land use/cover change on the water balance of Bilate wa...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IWA Publishing
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Water Practice and Technology |
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| Online Access: | http://wpt.iwaponline.com/content/16/4/1108 |
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| author | Mulatu Abayicho Sulamo Asfaw Kebede Kassa Negash Tessema Roba |
| author_facet | Mulatu Abayicho Sulamo Asfaw Kebede Kassa Negash Tessema Roba |
| author_sort | Mulatu Abayicho Sulamo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Land use/cover change is one of the factors responsible for changing the water balance of the watershed by altering the magnitude of surface runoff, interflow, base flow, and evapotranspiration. This study was aimed at evaluating the impacts of land use/cover change on the water balance of Bilate watershed between 1989, 2002, and 2015. The water balance simulation model (WaSiM) was used to access the impacts of land use/cover change on water balance. The model was calibrated (1989–2003) and validated (2007–2015) using the streamflow of at Bilate Tena gauging station. The result of land-use dynamics showed land use/cover change has a significant impact on the water balance of the watershed: on runoff production, base flow, interflow, evapotranspiration, and total simulation flow. In the study watershed, the change in total simulated flow increased by 77.83%; surface runoff, interflow, and base flow increased by 80.23%, 75.69%, and 87.79% respectively; and evapotranspiration decreased by 6% throughout the study period (1989–2015). The results obtained from this study revealed that the watershed is under land/cover change that shows its impacts on hydrological processes and water balance. Thus, effective information regarding the environmental response of land use/cover change is important to hydrologists, land-use planners, watershed management, and decision-makers for sustainable water resource projects and ecosystem services. Therefore, the policy-makers, planners, and stakeholders should design strategies to ensure the sustainability of the watershed hydrology for the sake of protecting agricultural activities, and urban planning and management systems within the watershed area. HIGHLIGHTS
The research aimed to understand the LULC change impact on water balance.;
The impacts on hydrological cycle processes were determined.;
It is possible to use the WaSiM model for any watersheds.;
The model can be used for watershed managers.;
The model can be used as input for data construction of hydraulic structures.; |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T19:59:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5c3fda863afe416d913b651446724e07 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1751-231X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T19:59:33Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | IWA Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water Practice and Technology |
| spelling | doaj.art-5c3fda863afe416d913b651446724e072022-12-21T20:07:43ZengIWA PublishingWater Practice and Technology1751-231X2021-10-011641108112710.2166/wpt.2021.063063Evaluation of the impacts of land use/cover changes on water balance of Bilate watershed, Rift valley basin, EthiopiaMulatu Abayicho Sulamo0Asfaw Kebede Kassa1Negash Tessema Roba2 Natural Resources Management Department, Jinka College of Agriculture, Jinka University, P.O. Box 165, Jinka, Ethiopia Hydraulic and Water Resources Engineering Department, Haramaya Institute of Technology, Haramaya University, P.O. Box 138, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia Water Resources and Irrigation Engineering Department, Haramaya Institute of Technology, Haramaya University, P.O. Box 138, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia Land use/cover change is one of the factors responsible for changing the water balance of the watershed by altering the magnitude of surface runoff, interflow, base flow, and evapotranspiration. This study was aimed at evaluating the impacts of land use/cover change on the water balance of Bilate watershed between 1989, 2002, and 2015. The water balance simulation model (WaSiM) was used to access the impacts of land use/cover change on water balance. The model was calibrated (1989–2003) and validated (2007–2015) using the streamflow of at Bilate Tena gauging station. The result of land-use dynamics showed land use/cover change has a significant impact on the water balance of the watershed: on runoff production, base flow, interflow, evapotranspiration, and total simulation flow. In the study watershed, the change in total simulated flow increased by 77.83%; surface runoff, interflow, and base flow increased by 80.23%, 75.69%, and 87.79% respectively; and evapotranspiration decreased by 6% throughout the study period (1989–2015). The results obtained from this study revealed that the watershed is under land/cover change that shows its impacts on hydrological processes and water balance. Thus, effective information regarding the environmental response of land use/cover change is important to hydrologists, land-use planners, watershed management, and decision-makers for sustainable water resource projects and ecosystem services. Therefore, the policy-makers, planners, and stakeholders should design strategies to ensure the sustainability of the watershed hydrology for the sake of protecting agricultural activities, and urban planning and management systems within the watershed area. HIGHLIGHTS The research aimed to understand the LULC change impact on water balance.; The impacts on hydrological cycle processes were determined.; It is possible to use the WaSiM model for any watersheds.; The model can be used for watershed managers.; The model can be used as input for data construction of hydraulic structures.;http://wpt.iwaponline.com/content/16/4/1108bilateland use/cover changewasim modelwater balancewatershed |
| spellingShingle | Mulatu Abayicho Sulamo Asfaw Kebede Kassa Negash Tessema Roba Evaluation of the impacts of land use/cover changes on water balance of Bilate watershed, Rift valley basin, Ethiopia Water Practice and Technology bilate land use/cover change wasim model water balance watershed |
| title | Evaluation of the impacts of land use/cover changes on water balance of Bilate watershed, Rift valley basin, Ethiopia |
| title_full | Evaluation of the impacts of land use/cover changes on water balance of Bilate watershed, Rift valley basin, Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of the impacts of land use/cover changes on water balance of Bilate watershed, Rift valley basin, Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of the impacts of land use/cover changes on water balance of Bilate watershed, Rift valley basin, Ethiopia |
| title_short | Evaluation of the impacts of land use/cover changes on water balance of Bilate watershed, Rift valley basin, Ethiopia |
| title_sort | evaluation of the impacts of land use cover changes on water balance of bilate watershed rift valley basin ethiopia |
| topic | bilate land use/cover change wasim model water balance watershed |
| url | http://wpt.iwaponline.com/content/16/4/1108 |
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