Hydro-sediment responses to management options under current and future climate change scenarios in Maybar watershed, South Wollo Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Climate change coupled with inappropriate land use management is a serious environmental challenge in the highland part of Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to investigate hydro-sediment responses to management options under current and future climate change scenarios in Maybar watershed, Northern Ethiopia. We employed soil and water assessment tool (ArcSWAT 2012.10_7.24) for hydrologic modeling and CORDEX-climate data under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 emission scenarios for climate projections. Soil map was prepared by digitizing soil characterization map of the watershed generated by Weigel in 1986. DEM data with 2 m spatial resolution was obtained from water and land resource center and land use classification was done through digitization of google earth images. Better agreement between calibrated SWAT simulation and observed variables was achieved. Delta change bias correction method was employed to improve the climate simulation in reproducing the observed climate variables. We found a considerable increase in annual precipitation by 18.71 % and 22.33 % for RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, respectively compared with the current climate conditions. Climate change induced hydro-sediment results were observed to be consistent with predicted precipitation. Under the current climatic conditions, average sediment yield at the sub-basin scale varies from negligible (under terrace complementation) to approximately more than 50 t ha−1 yr−1 with a basin average of 32 t ha−1 yr−1 (under no-terrace conditions). The implementation of management alternatives gets the dry season's hydrological behavior of the catchment improved and climate change induced sediment yield reduction. Generally, the information could possibly support decision makers and planners to implement best-fitted management options and thereby reduce current and expected aggressive sediment loss situations.