scholarly journals Quantifying the Contributions of Climate Change and Human Activities to Water Volume in Lake Qinghai, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 99
Author(s):  
Guoqing Yang ◽  
Miao Zhang ◽  
Zhenghui Xie ◽  
Jiyuan Li ◽  
Mingguo Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Volume Change ◽  
Lake Water ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Water Volume ◽  
Lake Qinghai ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change

Lake Qinghai has shrunk and then expanded over the past few decades. Quantifying the contributions of climate change and human activities to lake variation is important for water resource management and adaptation to climate change. In this study, we calculated the water volume change of Lake Qinghai, analyzed the climate and land use changes in Lake Qinghai catchment, and distinguished the contributions of climate change and local human activities to water volume change. The results showed that lake water volume decreased by 9.48 km3 from 1975 to 2004 and increased by 15.18 km3 from 2005 to 2020. The climate in Lake Qinghai catchment is becoming warmer and more pluvial, and the changes in land use have been minimal. Based on the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), land use change, climate change and interaction effect of them contributed to 7.46%, 93.13% and −0.59%, respectively, on the variation in surface runoff into the lake. From the perspective of the water balance, we calculated the proportion of each component flowing into and out of the lake and found that the contribution of climate change to lake water volume change was 97.55%, while the local human activities contribution was only 2.45%. Thus, climate change had the dominant impact on water volume change in Lake Qinghai.

scholarly journals Quantitative Attribution of Runoff Attenuation to Climate Change and Human Activity in Typical Mountainous Areas: An Enlightenment to Water Resource Sustainable Utilization and Management in North China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10395
Author(s):  
Yufei Jiao ◽  
Jia Liu ◽  
Chuanzhe Li ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Fuliang Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Resource ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
North China ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Data Series ◽  
Sustainable Utilization

The influence of climate change and human activities on hydrological elements has increased along with increasing dependence on water resources. Therefore, quantitative attribution of hydrological elements has received wide attention. In this study, the double mass curve (DMC) is used to assess the abrupt change point of the hydrological data series, based on which the periods with/without large-scale human activities causing runoff attenuation are separated. The land use transition matrix is then employed to analyze the land use types at different historical stages, and the sensitivities of the runoff attenuation to different land use/cover change (LUCC) categories are quantified. A soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model that considers the underlying surface is constructed with six designed scenarios of different climate and LUCC conditions. Taking three typical mountainous basins in North China as the study area, the quantitative contributions of climate change and human activities to the water resources are identified. The results of the study have brought enlightenment to the water resource sustainable utilization and management in North China, and the methodologies can be transferred to runoff attribution analysis in water shortage areas.

scholarly journals Lake water volume fluctuations in response to climate change in Xinjiang, China from 2002 to 2018

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9683
Author(s):  
Adilai Wufu ◽  
Hongwei Wang ◽  
Yun Chen ◽  
Yusufujiang Rusuli ◽  
Ligang Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Lake Water ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Water Volume ◽  
Optical Remote Sensing ◽  
Volume Data ◽  
Water Volumes ◽  
Different Altitudes

Climate change has a global impact on the water cycle and its spatial patterns, and these impacts are more pronounced in eco-fragile regions. Arid regions are significantly affected by human activities like farming, and climate change, which influences lake water volumes, especially in different latitudes. This study integrates radar altimetry data from 2002 to 2018 with optical remote sensing images to analyze changes in the lake areas, levels, and volumes at different altitudes in Xinjiang, China. We analyzed changes in lake volumes in March, June, and October and studied their causes. The results showed large changes in the surface areas, levels, and volumes of lakes at different altitudes. During 2002–2010, the lakes in low- and medium-altitude areas were shrinking but lakes in high altitude areas were expanding. Monthly analysis revealed more diversified results: the lake water levels and volumes tended to decrease in March (−0.10 m/year, 37.55×108 m3) and increase in June (0.03 m/year, 3.48×108 m3) and October (0.04 m/year, 26.90×108 m3). The time series lake water volume data was reconstructed for 2011 to 2018 based on the empirical model and the total lake water volume showed a slightly increasing trend during this period (71.35×108 m3). We hypothesized that changes in lake water at high altitudes were influenced by temperature-induced glacial snow melt and lake water in low- to medium-altitude areas was most influenced by human activities like agricultural irrigation practices.

scholarly journals Modeling streamflow and sediment responses to climate change and human activities in the Yanhe River, China

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingwen Wu ◽  
Chiyuan Miao ◽  
Tiantian Yang ◽  
Qingyun Duan ◽  
Xiaoming Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Sediment Load ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Threshold Value ◽  
Hydrological Processes ◽  
Pettitt Test ◽  
Elevation Model ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Quantifying the impact of climate change and human activities on hydrological processes is of great importance for regional water-resource management. In this study, trend analysis and analysis of the short-term variations in annual streamflow and sediment load in the Yanhe River Basin (YRB) during the period 1972–2011 were conducted using linear regression and the Pettitt test. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was employed to simulate the hydrological processes. The results show that both annual mean streamflow and annual mean sediment load in the YRB significantly decreased (P < 0.05) during the study period. The relative contributions from climate change and human activities to YRB streamflow decline between 1996 and 2011 were estimated to be 55.8 and 44.2%, respectively. In contrast to the results for streamflow, the dominant cause of YRB sediment-load decline was human activity (which explained 64% of the decrease), rather than climate change. The study also demonstrates that topographical characteristics (watershed subdivision threshold value, digital elevation model spatial resolution) can cause uncertainties in the simulated streamflow and sediment load. The results presented in this paper will increase understanding of the mechanisms of soil loss and will enable more efficient management of water resources in the YRB.

scholarly journals A Review of SWAT Model Application in Africa

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1313
Author(s):  
George Akoko ◽  
Tu Hoang Le ◽  
Takashi Gomi ◽  
Tasuku Kato
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Hydrological Modeling ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Model Parameterization ◽  
Basin Scale

The soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) is a well-known hydrological modeling tool that has been applied in various hydrologic and environmental simulations. A total of 206 studies over a 15-year period (2005–2019) were identified from various peer-reviewed scientific journals listed on the SWAT website database, which is supported by the Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD). These studies were categorized into five areas, namely applications considering: water resources and streamflow, erosion and sedimentation, land-use management and agricultural-related contexts, climate-change contexts, and model parameterization and dataset inputs. Water resources studies were applied to understand hydrological processes and responses in various river basins. Land-use and agriculture-related context studies mainly analyzed impacts and mitigation measures on the environment and provided insights into better environmental management. Erosion and sedimentation studies using the SWAT model were done to quantify sediment yield and evaluate soil conservation measures. Climate-change context studies mainly demonstrated streamflow sensitivity to weather changes. The model parameterization studies highlighted parameter selection in streamflow analysis, model improvements, and basin scale calibrations. Dataset inputs mainly compared simulations with rain-gauge and global rainfall data sources. The challenges and advantages of the SWAT model’s applications, which range from data availability and prediction uncertainties to the model’s capability in various applications, are highlighted. Discussions on considerations for future simulations such as data sharing, and potential for better future analysis are also highlighted. Increased efforts in local data availability and a multidimensional approach in future simulations are recommended.

scholarly journals Human and Climate Effects on the Hamoun Wetlands

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 609-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeideh Maleki ◽  
Saeid Soltani Koupaei ◽  
Alireza Soffianian ◽  
Sassan Saatchi ◽  
Saeid Pourmanafi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Water Stress ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Upstream Region ◽  
Ecosystem Recovery ◽  
Climate Effects

Abstract Negative impacts of climate change on ecosystems have been increasing, and both the intensification and the mitigation of these impacts are strongly linked with human activities. Management and reduction of human-induced disturbances on ecosystems can mitigate the effects of climate change and enhance the ecosystem recovery process. Here, we investigate coupled human and climate effects on the wetland ecosystem of the lower Helmand basin from 1977 to 2014. Using time series climate-variable data and land-use changes from Landsat time series imagery, we compared changes in ecosystem status between the upstream and downstream regions. Results show that despite a strong and prolonged drought in the region, the upstream region of the lower Helmand basin remained dominated by agriculture, causing severe water stress on the Hamoun wetlands downstream. The loss of available water in wetlands was followed by large-scale land abandonment in rural areas, migration to the cities, and increasing unemployment and economic hardship. Our results suggest that unsustainable land-use policies in the upstream region, combined with synergistic effects of human activities and climate in lower Helmand basin, have exacerbated the effects of water stress on local inhabitants in the downstream region.

scholarly journals Quantitative Analysis of Hydrological Responses to Climate Variability and Land-Use Change in the Hilly-Gully Region of the Loess Plateau, China

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Youcai Kang ◽  
Jianen Gao ◽  
Hui Shao ◽  
Yuanyuan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Upstream Region ◽  
The Loess Plateau

Climate and land-use change are the two main driving forces that affect watershed hydrological processes. Separately assessing their impacts on hydrology is important for land-use planning and water resource management. In this research, the SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) and statistical methods were applied to evaluate the effects of climate and land-use change on surface hydrology in the hilly-gully region of the Loess Plateau. The results showed that surface runoff and soil water presented a downward tendency, while evapotranspiration (ET) presented an upward tendency in the Yanhe watershed from 1982 to 2012. Climate is one the dominant factors that influence surface runoff, especially in flooding periods. The average contribution rate of surface runoff on stream flow accounted for 55%, of which the flooding period accounted for 40%. The runoff coefficient declined by 0.21 after 2002 with the land-use change of cropland transformed to grassland and forestland. The soil water exhibited great fluctuation along the Yanhe watershed. In the upstream region, the land-use was the driving force to decline soil water, which reduced the soil water by 51%. Along the spatial distribution, it converted from land-use change to climate variability from northwest to southeast. The ET was more sensitive to land-use change than climate variability in all sub-basins, and increased by 209% with vegetation restoration. To prevent the ecosystem degradation and maintain the inherent ecological functions of rivers, quantitative assessment the influence of climate variability and land-use change on hydrology is of great importance. Such evaluations can provide insight into the extent of land use/cover change on regional water balance and develop appropriate watershed management strategies on the Loess Plateau.

scholarly journals Assessing Impacts of Climate Variability and Reforestation Activities on Water Resources in the Headwaters of the Segura River Basin (SE Spain)

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Senent-Aparicio ◽  
Sitian Liu ◽  
Julio Pérez-Sánchez ◽  
Adrián López-Ballesteros ◽  
Patricia Jimeno-Sáez
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Forest Area ◽  
Se Spain ◽  
Monthly Streamflow ◽  
Agricultural Areas ◽  
Water Assessment

Climate change and the land-use and land-cover changes (LULC) resulting from anthropic activity are important factors in the degradation of an ecosystem and in the availability of a basin’s water resources. To know how these activities affect the quantity of the water resources of basins, such as the Segura River Basin, is of vital importance. In this work, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used for the study of the abovementioned impacts. The model was validated by obtaining a Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) of 0.88 and a percent bias (PBIAS) of 17.23%, indicating that SWAT accurately replicated monthly streamflow. Next, land-use maps for the years of 1956 and 2007 were used to establish a series of scenarios that allowed us to evaluate the effects of these activities on both joint and individual water resources. A reforestation plan applied in the basin during the 1970s caused that the forest area had almost doubled, whereas the agricultural areas and shrubland had been reduced by one-third. These modifications, together with the effect of climate change, have led to a decrease of 26.3% in the quantity of generated water resources, not only due to climate change but also due to the increase in forest area.

CLIMATE- AND LAND USE-INDUCED RISKS TO WATERSHED SERVICES IN THE NYANDO RIVER BASIN, KENYA

2011 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 339-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
MWANGI GATHENYA ◽  
HOSEA MWANGI ◽  
RICHARD COE ◽  
JOSEPH SANG
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Change ◽  
Sediment Yield ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Surface Condition ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Minor Effect ◽  
Watershed Services

SUMMARYClimate change and land use change are two forces influencing the hydrology of watersheds and their ability to provide ecosystem services, such as clean and well-regulated streamflow and control of soil erosion and sediment yield. The Soil Water Assessment Tool, SWAT, a distributed, watershed-scale hydrological model was used with 18 scenarios of rainfall, temperature and infiltration capacity of land surface to investigate the spatial distribution of watershed services over the 3587 km2 Nyando basin in Western Kenya and how it is affected by these two forces. The total annual water yield varied over the 50 sub-basins from 35 to 600 mm while the annual sediment yield ranged from 0 to 104 tons ha−1. Temperature change had a relatively minor effect on streamflow and sediment yield compared to change in rainfall and land surface condition. Improvements in land surface condition that result in higher infiltration are an effective adaptation strategy to moderate the effects of climate change on supply of watershed services. Spatial heterogeneity in response to climate and land use change is large, and hence it is necessary to understand it if interventions to modify hydrology or adapt to climate change are to be effective.

Grassland dynamics in response to climate change and human activities in Inner Mongolia, China between 1985 and 2009

2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 315 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Mu ◽  
Y. Z. Chen ◽  
J. L. Li ◽  
W. M. Ju ◽  
I. O. A. Odeh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Inner Mongolia ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Landscape Patterns

China’s grassland has been undergoing rapid changes in the recent past owing to increased climate variability and a shift in grassland management strategy driven by a series of ecological restoration projects. This study investigated the spatio-temporal dynamics of Inner Mongolia grassland, the main grassland region in China and part of the Eurasia Steppe, to detect the interactive nature of climate, ecosystems and society. Land-use and landscape patterns for the period from 1985 to 2009 were analysed based on TM- and MODIS-derived land-use data. Net Primary Productivity (NPP) estimated by using the Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach model was used to assess the growth status of grassland. Furthermore, the factors related to the dynamics of grassland were analysed from the perspectives of two driving factors, climate change and human activities. The results indicated that higher temperatures and lower precipitation may generally have contributed to grassland desertification, particularly in arid regions. During the period from 1985 to 2000, a higher human population and an increase in livestock numbers were the major driving forces responsible for the consistent decrease in NPP and a relatively fragmented landscape. From 2000 to 2009, the implementation of effective ecological restoration projects has arrested the grassland deterioration in some ecologically fragile regions. However, a rapid growth of livestock numbers has sparked new degradation onnon-degraded or lightly degraded grassland, which was initially neglected by these projects. In spite of some achievement in grassland restoration, China should take further steps to develop sustainable management practices for climate adaptation and economic development to bring lasting benefits.

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