To What Extent Is Hydrologic Connectivity Taken into Account in Catchment Studies in the Lake Tana Basin, Ethiopia? A Review
Knowledge of hydrologic connectivity is important to grasp the hydrological response at a basin scale, particularly as changes in connectivity can have a negative effect on the environment. In the context of a changing climate, being able to predict how changes in connectivity will affect runoff and...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Land |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/12/2165 |
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| author | Anik Juli Dwi Astuti Sofie Annys Mekete Dessie Jan Nyssen Stefaan Dondeyne |
| author_facet | Anik Juli Dwi Astuti Sofie Annys Mekete Dessie Jan Nyssen Stefaan Dondeyne |
| author_sort | Anik Juli Dwi Astuti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Knowledge of hydrologic connectivity is important to grasp the hydrological response at a basin scale, particularly as changes in connectivity can have a negative effect on the environment. In the context of a changing climate, being able to predict how changes in connectivity will affect runoff and sediment transport is particularly relevant for land-use planning. Many studies on hydrology, geomorphology and climatology have been conducted in the Lake Tana Basin in Ethiopia, which is undergoing rapid development and significant environmental changes. This systematic literature review aims at assessing to what extent the hydrologic connectivity has been taken into account in such research, and to identify research gaps relevant to land and water management. On the Web of Science and Scopus databases, 135 scientific articles covering those topics were identified. Aspects of hydrologic connectivity were mostly implicitly taken into account based on process-based, statistical and descriptive models. Amongst the drivers of changing connectivity, the climate was covered by a large majority of publications (64%). Components of structural hydrologic connectivity were accounted for by considering geomorphology (54%) and soils (47%), and to a lesser extent, hydrography (16%) and geology (12%). Components of functional connectivity were covered by looking at surface water fluxes (61%), sediment fluxes (18%) and subsurface water fluxes (13%). While numerous studies of the Lake Tana Basin accounted for the hydrologic connectivity implicitly, these related predominantly to functional components. The structural components are given less attention, while in the context of a changing climate, better insights into their influence on the hydrologic seem most relevant. Better knowledge of the static aspect of connectivity is particularly important for targeting appropriate soil and water conservation strategies. Being able to explicitly assess the ‘structural connectivity’ is therefore of direct relevance for land management and land-use policy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:12:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f4b7948f97e34cb0b86a1f0684220058 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:12:30Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj.art-f4b7948f97e34cb0b86a1f06842200582023-11-24T16:06:29ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2022-11-011112216510.3390/land11122165To What Extent Is Hydrologic Connectivity Taken into Account in Catchment Studies in the Lake Tana Basin, Ethiopia? A ReviewAnik Juli Dwi Astuti0Sofie Annys1Mekete Dessie2Jan Nyssen3Stefaan Dondeyne4Department of Geography, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumDepartment of Geography, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumSchool of Civil and Water Resources Engineering, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar P.O. Box 430, EthiopiaDepartment of Geography, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumDepartment of Geography, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumKnowledge of hydrologic connectivity is important to grasp the hydrological response at a basin scale, particularly as changes in connectivity can have a negative effect on the environment. In the context of a changing climate, being able to predict how changes in connectivity will affect runoff and sediment transport is particularly relevant for land-use planning. Many studies on hydrology, geomorphology and climatology have been conducted in the Lake Tana Basin in Ethiopia, which is undergoing rapid development and significant environmental changes. This systematic literature review aims at assessing to what extent the hydrologic connectivity has been taken into account in such research, and to identify research gaps relevant to land and water management. On the Web of Science and Scopus databases, 135 scientific articles covering those topics were identified. Aspects of hydrologic connectivity were mostly implicitly taken into account based on process-based, statistical and descriptive models. Amongst the drivers of changing connectivity, the climate was covered by a large majority of publications (64%). Components of structural hydrologic connectivity were accounted for by considering geomorphology (54%) and soils (47%), and to a lesser extent, hydrography (16%) and geology (12%). Components of functional connectivity were covered by looking at surface water fluxes (61%), sediment fluxes (18%) and subsurface water fluxes (13%). While numerous studies of the Lake Tana Basin accounted for the hydrologic connectivity implicitly, these related predominantly to functional components. The structural components are given less attention, while in the context of a changing climate, better insights into their influence on the hydrologic seem most relevant. Better knowledge of the static aspect of connectivity is particularly important for targeting appropriate soil and water conservation strategies. Being able to explicitly assess the ‘structural connectivity’ is therefore of direct relevance for land management and land-use policy.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/12/2165hydrologygeomorphologygeologystructural connectivityfunctional connectivity |
| spellingShingle | Anik Juli Dwi Astuti Sofie Annys Mekete Dessie Jan Nyssen Stefaan Dondeyne To What Extent Is Hydrologic Connectivity Taken into Account in Catchment Studies in the Lake Tana Basin, Ethiopia? A Review Land hydrology geomorphology geology structural connectivity functional connectivity |
| title | To What Extent Is Hydrologic Connectivity Taken into Account in Catchment Studies in the Lake Tana Basin, Ethiopia? A Review |
| title_full | To What Extent Is Hydrologic Connectivity Taken into Account in Catchment Studies in the Lake Tana Basin, Ethiopia? A Review |
| title_fullStr | To What Extent Is Hydrologic Connectivity Taken into Account in Catchment Studies in the Lake Tana Basin, Ethiopia? A Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | To What Extent Is Hydrologic Connectivity Taken into Account in Catchment Studies in the Lake Tana Basin, Ethiopia? A Review |
| title_short | To What Extent Is Hydrologic Connectivity Taken into Account in Catchment Studies in the Lake Tana Basin, Ethiopia? A Review |
| title_sort | to what extent is hydrologic connectivity taken into account in catchment studies in the lake tana basin ethiopia a review |
| topic | hydrology geomorphology geology structural connectivity functional connectivity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/12/2165 |
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