The Response of Peak Discharge and Sedimentation to the Land Use/Land
Cover Change Scenarios in the Upper Awash Basin, Ethiopia
Abstract
Expansion of unplanned agriculture and urbanization increases the danger
of extreme flood and sedimentation. The Upper Awash basin has been under
tremendous influence of human activities in the last five decades. The
historical land use/land cover (LULC) change analysis was made by
processing multi-temporal Landsat images and the future LULC was
predicted using the Land Change Modeler. The LULC transition between a
pair of classified LULC maps and driver variables were combined to
predict the future LULC scenario. The five different LULC change and
future land management scenarios are LULC 1974, LULC 2014, increase in
the urban area, riparian and steep slope afforestation, and predicted
future LULC 2045. The LULC change scenarios together with other spatial
and climate data were used to simulate the hydrology, and sedimentation
at four main subbasins using the calibrated soil and water assessment
tool (SWAT) model. The mean monthly change in the water balance
components and sedimentation have indicated higher rates of fluctuation
due to LULC change. The riparian and steep slope reforestation scenario
has reduced the mean annual surface runoff volume by 9.3% and
sedimentation yield by 6.1% from the baseline LULC 2014. Moreover, the
frequency of estimated 100-year annual extreme daily discharge reveals
significant variation among the LULC scenarios. Notably, the future LULC
2045 has indicated a higher increase of extreme daily discharge by
23.5% at Homole subbasin. The study outlined the impact of land
management on the flood events and sedimentation in the large basin, and
spatial variation of LULC change impact has been presented. It suggests
that the increase in deforestation due expansion of cropland and
urbanization will intensify floods, whereas, riparian and steep slope
reforestation has significantly reduced the peak discharge and
sedimentation. Therefore, the future land management plans should
consider appropriate vegetative conservation measures in the upland
areas.