Abstract
Lhasa River Basin being the socio-economic hotspot of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is experiencing an increased hydropower capacity in the form of damming and reservoir construction. The Pangduo hydropower station, commenced in 2013, is one of these developments. Lhasa River discharge is analyzed for spatial variability under the reservoir operation at Pondo and Lhasa gauging station. The Mann–Kendall Trend analysis reveals an increased precipitation and a decreased Lhasa River discharge trend upstream and downstream the reservoir. However, the discharge received at Lhasa gauging station is experiencing a greater decline revealed by Sen’s slope estimator. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) modelling of the Lhasa River discharge for both the hydrometric stations from 2008–2016 reveals better simulation results for Pondo hydrometric station in terms of R2, NSE and PBIAS values. The modelling results for Pondo station correspond comparatively well to the reservoir operation procedures including water level and inflow despite of data availability constraint. However, the importance of non-simulated processes (e.g., groundwater abstractions) to the accurate prediction of the Lhasa flow regime particularly at the downstream flow gauge is recommended. The study can prove beneficial for local water distribution measures in Lhasa River Basin.
Highlights
Damming and reservoir operation has extensively changed the flow regimes of the rivers far and wide all over the world [1]
We see that the annual river discharge accumulated at Lhasa gauging station is higher as the magnitude of peak flow depends on the total basin area; the larger the basin area, the greater the resulting peak flow [55]
The study reveals that the streamflow of LRB, being strongly dependent on the rainfall, is prone to the Pangduo reservoir functioning and is experiencing a decrease across the study time span during the high discharge wet warm months both at Pondo and Lhasa hydrometric stations
Summary
Damming and reservoir operation has extensively changed the flow regimes of the rivers far and wide all over the world [1]. A rising number of dams have been put into operation over the world to encounter public water stresses [2,3]. Being the second leading renewable energy resource and chief source of renewable energy in the electricity division, hydropower has a momentous capability to lessen anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. In 2012, hydropower was assessed to count for approximately. 3.8% of the world’s major energy consumption and endow approximately 16.5% to the global electricity supply [5,6]. By the end of 2013, the total global installed hydropower capacity augmented to 1000 GW, producing an annual power generation of 3750 TWh [5]. Understanding of dam conception and its regulating outcomes on river discharge is fundamental for river and watershed management and re-establishment
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
