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Abstract
Many catchments in northern Algeria, including the coastal Mitidja Basin in the north central part of the country have been negatively affected by the deterioration of water quality in recent years. This study aims to discover the relationship between land use change and its impact on water quality in the coastal Mitidja river basin. Based on the data of land use and water quality in 2000, 2010 and 2017, the relationship between land use change and surface water quality index in the Mitidja Watershed was discussed through GIS and statistical analysis. The results show that the physical and chemical properties of the Mitidja river basin have obvious spatial heterogeneity. The water quality of upstream was better than that of downstream. There was a significant spatial relationship between the eight water quality indicators and three land use types, including urban residential land, agricultural land and vegetation. In most cases, settlements and agricultural land are the dominant factors leading to river pollution, and higher vegetation coverage helps to improve water quality. The regression model revealed that percentage of urban settlement area was a predictor for NH4-N, BOD5, COD, SS, PO4-P, DO and pH, while vegetation was a predictor for NO3-N. The analysis also showed that during this period, urban settlement areas increased sharply, which has a significant impact on water quality variables. Agricultural land only had a significant positive correlation with PO4-P. The results provide an effective way to evaluate river water quality, control water pollution and land use management by landscape pattern.
Highlights
Land use cover change (LUCC) and biosphere aspects of hydrological cycle (BAHC) are two core types of research of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP)
The land use structure in the study area has changed dramatically between 2000 and 2017: There is a notable decrease of agriculture and barren land, whereas marked increment of urban settlement land
Most water quality variables have degraded between 2000 and 2017, and the water quality of upstream areas was better than that of downstream areas; Urban residential land is the most significant independent variable to predict water quality, which is sensitive to six water quality parameters (BOD5, COD, SS, NH4-N, PO4–P, DO and pH), while vegetation is sensitive to NO3-N
Summary
Land use cover change (LUCC) and biosphere aspects of hydrological cycle (BAHC) are two core types of research of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP). The land use change tends to strengthen the soil erosion and affect all the links of the hydrological cycle to aggravate the non-point source pollution in the watershed [1,4,5]. Revealing the relationship between land use change and water quality is of great significance to watershed protection. Relevant studies have shown that there is a significant correlation between land use and water quality [6,7,8]. The complex interaction of land use type, landform and social culture in the study area may jointly affect the local water quality. In developing countries of Africa, due to backward economy and treatment facilities, improper land use practice is more likely to lead to deterioration of water quality and threaten local sustainable development. Assessment of the relationship between land use and water quality is critical, as it helps in the formulation of comprehensive management strategies and policies to reduce the adverse effects of land use on water quality
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