The Effect of Land Cover Changes on Surface Runoff Using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool in the Bila Watershed

Abstract

Changes in land cover have a negative impact on land and water resources that occur in the watershed area. This study aims to analyze changes in land cover in 2016 and 2021 and their effects on surface runoff in the Bila Watershed. Analysis of land cover change using the Geographic Information System approach, and then analyzing the effect of land cover change on surface runoff from the results of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool Model. The results showed that the land cover of Bila Watershed when experiencing the highest change was in shrubs of 680.29 ha, dryland agriculture covering an area of 520.99 ha and secondary dryland forest covering an area of 155.76 ha. The effect of land cover changes on surface runoff varies. The highest increase in surface runoff was in shrub cover change to agricultural land and open land while the lowest increase in surface runoff was with changes in primary dryland forest land cover to secondary dryland forest. The surface runoff coefficient of the Bila Watershed in 2016 was included in the good category with a value of 0.16 while in 2021 was included in the moderate category with a value of 0.26.