Hydrological responses of land use land cover change on the Hangar catchment, Blue Nile Basin

Abstract

Investigating the hydrological response due to land use land cover changes on catchment hydrology is important for optimum watershed management. This study is intended to comprehend the stream flow characteristics based on land use land cover changes on the hydrological response of the Hangar catchment, Blue Nile Basin, during 1984 – 2000. The soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) was utilized to simulate the hydrological responses. Then the sensitivity analysis was done using SWAT CUP. The most sensitive parameters are GW_DELAY (groundwater delay), CN2 (SCS runoff Curve Number for moisture condition), and Sol_K
(saturated hydraulic conductivity). The hydrological response to land use land cover change has shown a 3.09% change in the mean annual discharge during the study period. Hence, land use land cover change has a significant effect on the hydrological components. Moreover, the sensitivity parameter values can be used to estimate the initial value of catchment hydrological modeling on the Blue Nile Basin. In conclusion, the results of this study are useful for sustainable land and water resources management to address multifunctional ecosystem benefits.