Drainage Basin Management Research Articles

Study on the Application of Water Resource Management Based on GF-7 Stereo Mapping Satellite

Abstract. GF-7 satellite was successfully launched on 3 Nov 2019. The two-line stereo camera can effectively obtain 20 km-width panchromatic stereo images with resolution better than 0.8m and 3.2m-resolution multispectral images. Through the composite mapping mode of stereo camera and laser altimeter, the satellite realizes 1:10,000-scale stereo mapping. This article selected the Qiafuqihai Reservoir and its upstream of the Yili River Basin as the study area. Hydrological landforms and vegetation coverage were monitored and three-dimensional dynamic simulation software was developed to verify the potential application of GF-7 stereo mapping satellite data in supporting drainage basin water resource allocation and management in future scenarios. 3 meters DSM derived from GF-7 surveying and mapping satellite finely portrayed the characteristics of hydroponic landforms of small watersheds. The upstream of Qiafuqihai was divided into eleven small watersheds. The water density was 8.5 times more than which was produced from STRM 90m. The elevation of the water-level fluctuation zone of the Qiafuqihai Reservoir ranged from 970 to 998 meters with the water area changed from 28.3 to 57.6 square kilometres. The terrain in the northwest and northeast was flat, with the main vegetation types being natural grasslands (64.9%) and arid lands (5.03%). The three-dimensional dynamic visualization software was developed and demonstrated hydrology information, vegetation coverage information and dynamic changes in the landform of the basin in three-dimensional environment. GF-7, the stereo surveying and mapping satellite, could be perfectly able to support the application of water resources deployment and management in the future.

Understanding seasonal variations in As and Pb river fluxes and their regulatory mechanisms through monitoring data.

The Doce River Basin (DRB) suffers with the adverse impacts of mining activities, due to its high level of urbanization and numerous industrial operations. In this study, we present novel insights into contaminant flow dynamics, seasonal variations, and the primary factors driving concentration levels within the region. We conducted an extensive analysis using a database sourced from the literature, which contained data on the contamination of arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) in the Doce River. Our primary aim was to investigate the patterns of As and Pb flow throughout the entire basin, their response to seasonal fluctuations, and the key parameters influencing their concentration levels. The results showed significant seasonal fluctuations in As and Pb fluxes, peaking during the rainy season. The 2015 Fundão dam breach in the DRB led to notable changes, elevating elemental concentrations, particularly As and Pb, which were subsequently transported to the Atlantic Ocean. These increased concentrations were primarily associated with iron and manganese oxides, hydroxides, and sulfates, rather than precipitation, as evidenced by regressions with low R2 values for both As (R2 = 0.07) and Pb (R2 < 0.001), concerning precipitation. The PCA analysis further supports the connection between these elements and the oxides and hydroxides of Fe and Mn. The approach employed in this study has proven to be highly effective in comprehending biogeochemical phenomena by leveraging data from the literature and could be a model for optimizing resources by capitalizing on existing information to provide valuable insights for drainage basin management, particularly during crises.

Morphometric Analysis of Dachigam Drainage Basin Using Geo-Spatial Technology (GST)

The examination of morphometric parameters through quantitative analysis proves highly valuable in assessing river basins, prioritizing watersheds for soil and water conservation, and natural resources management. In this study, an in-depth analysis of the Dachigam Catchment has been conducted, focusing on the quantification of various morphometric parameters. The research employs Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques to assess morphometric parameters in the micro-watersheds of the Dachigam Catchment. Linear and areal morphometric parameters were systematically derived and tabulated based on linear and shape characteristics of drainage channels, utilizing GIS and topographical maps (scale 1:50,000). The morphometric analysis conducted in the Dachigam catchment indicates that the basin has an elongated shape, suggesting that peak discharges would generally exhibit a flat profile and take time to rise. The drainage network within the basin is predominantly of the dendritic type, signifying a degree of homogeneity in texture. The slope analysis shows that the Dachigam watershed has a significant amount of steep terrain, ranging from 0 to 74.63%. The majority of the area falls within the 24 to 35% slope range. Examination of the aspect indicates that slopes oriented towards the south and southwest are the most prevalent in the basin. The watershed's mean bifurcation ratio is 1.71. This low ratio suggests that the watershed hasn't experienced significant distortion. In contrast, high bifurcation ratios exceeding 5 typically indicate distorted drainage patterns. The research illustrates how remote sensing and GIS methods can effectively analyze watershed morphometrics. These techniques offer valuable insights for planners and decision-makers involved in watershed-level planning and drainage basin management.

Geospatial Analysis for Tectonic Assessment and Soil Erosion Prioritization: A Case Study of Wadi Al-Lith, Red Sea Coast, Saudi Arabia

An investigation into tectonics and erosion reveals that they play an important role in causing uplifting, valley incision, and soil erosion. The analysis of drainage basins at different scales is irreplaceable in the development of sustainable plans, particularly in arid regions. Morphotectonics and morphometric characterization analyses are very effective methods for defining the evolution of different landforms, current-day tectonic activity, and hydrological and morphological signatures of basins under investigation. The reorganization of critical drainage basins and sub-basin risk priority ranking are essential for effective and accurate sustainable plans for drainage basin management and water resources. In this study, the coupling of geospatial techniques and statistical strategies was used to examine the tectonic activity and priorities in terms of soil erosion for 15 sub-basins of Wadi Al-Lith along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. Two effective models, namely, the relative tectonic activity model and the weighted sum analysis model, were applied for examining each geomorphological and hydrological characteristic based on an analysis of the morphotectonics and morphometric parameters. Regarding the relative tectonic activity model, the 15 sub-basins were classified into three classes of tectonic activity: low, moderate, and high. Sub-basins 5, 6, 13, and 15 were considered to be in class 1 (high relative tectonic activity). On the other hand, the weighted sum analysis model assigned the sub-basins into three different ranks: low-, moderate-, and high-soil-erosion priorities. The current study’s results suggest that sub-basins 5, 6, 10, 13, and 15 were recorded within the high-soil-erosion zone and highly relative tectonic activity, covering approximately 53.52% of the total sub-basin areas. The relative tectonic activity and weighted sum analysis models proved their validity in the risk studies, which will be very useful for decision makers in various fields, including natural resources and agriculture.

Estado trófico em reservatórios da região semiárida do Brasil após reinundação

ABSTRACT Prolonged drought extreme events can intensify eutrophication symptoms. This study aimed to analyze the trophic state of two semiarid reservoirs (Cruzeta and Dourado) that experience regular periods of drying and reflooding, verifying limnological changes. Two distinct periods were defined: Period I - before water depletion and Period II – after water renewal. To assess the changes in the limnological variables and the trophic state following the reflooding was conducted Wilcoxon test, Pearson's Correlation, and cluster analysis. Despite similar hydro-meteorological conditions, the reservoirs exhibited different outcomes in limnological variables. Due to the prolonged drought, Cruzeta maintained the eutrophic state in both periods, with the reservoir retaining only 2% of its water volume. In the Dourado reservoir, the trophic state change was observed, shifting from mesotrophic to eutrophic. The acceleration of eutrophication may have occurred due to the existence of organic matter in the sediment, coming from plantations inside the reservoir in addition to phosphorus carried from the drainage basin and by internal loading. Thus, reflooding did not improve water quality conditions and may intensify eutrophication. Therefore, it is recommended that effective reservoir and drainage basin management practices be implemented to mitigate eutrophication and aim for improvements in water quality.

Identification of critical watershed at risk of soil erosion using morphometric and geographic information system analysis

Morphometric analysis is a pertinent scientific approach in any hydrological analysis, and it is necessary in the progress and management of drainage basin. Identification of areas at risk of erosion, and the prioritization of 48 sub-watersheds of Inaouene basin, was done by using linear, relief and areal aspects of watershed. The research carried out the use of geographic information system spatial data. The linear aspects include stream number, stream sequence, stream length, and bifurcation ratio, mean length of stream order, stream length ratio, mean stream length ratio, and form factor. The areal aspect includes frequency of stream, drainage density, texture ratio, channel length constant, and overland flow maintenance length. Ultimately, the relief dimensions included relief proportion, relief and ruggedness number. The array of compound (Cp) values computed allow us to set the priority ranks and classify the sub-watershed into three priority ranks groups: low, moderate, and high priority. Such morphometric analyses can be used therefore as a watershed erosion status estimator to prioritize land and water conservation initiatives and natural resources management.

Simulation of Pan Evaporation Rate by ANN Artificial Intelligence Model in Damghan Region

Regarding different aspects of management of drainage basins and droughts, prediction of evaporation is very important. Evaporation is an essential part of the water cycle and plays an important role in the evaluation of climatic characteristics of any region. The purpose of this research is to predict daily pan evaporation rate of Damghan city using an artificial neural network model. The data applied in this research are daily minimum and maximum temperatures (Tmin and Tmax), average relative humidity (RHmean), wind speed (WS), sunny hours (n), air pressure (PA) and evaporation during the statistical time period of 16 years (2002-2018). Also, the multilayer perceptron was used as a non-linear method to simulate evaporation. Since the units of the inputs and outputs of the prediction model were different, all the data were normalized. In the multilayer perceptron model, 7 different scenarios were considered. About 70 and 30 percentage of the data were used for training and testing, respectively. The model was analyzed using appropriate statistics such as mean square error (RMSE), coefficient of determination (R2),mean absolute error (MAE) and mean square error (MSE). Results showed that the seventh scenario including Tmin, Tmax, RHmean, WS, ‎ n ‎, and PA proved to be the superior scenario among others. The values of RMSE, R2, MAE and MSE for the superior scenario were 2.75 mm/day, 0.8030, 1.88 mm/day and (mm/day)2, respectively.

The Response of Stream Competence to Topographic and Seasonal Variations in The Bamenda-Menchum Drainage Basin, North West Region, Cameroon

The flow direction of streams remains an establishing mechanism in understanding drainage basin function and stream competence. The ability of streams to erode, transport and deposit loads in fluvial geomorphology exert a benchmark precursor for slope dynamics given the differential geological outcrop of the Bamenda-Menchum basin. Such competence in stream network generates slope instability as materials continuously move down slope from the volcanic escarpment face of Bamenda highlands to the sedimentary lowland area of Lower Bafut-Menchum basin. This paper investigate the influence of stream flow direction and stream competence on slope dynamics and how such dynamism affects the development prospects of the drainage basin. Slope range was obtained from AVL/EBI.JHO measurement. Stream length, density and flow direction were gotten from GIS Arc 21. Stream depth, channel width, flow rate and sedimentation levels were measured. Gully depth on slopes and landslide angles were measured using 30m tape and a graduated pole. Questionnaires were used to collect information on the vulnerability of households to slope dynamics orchestrated by stream competence. Findings revealed that stream competence varies from the two geological basements and that the escarpment face respond to high flow gravity and hydraulic action contributing to rapid erosion and transportation of loads. The results equally showed that the Bamenda escarpment face that is linked to the crystalline rocks produce differential erosion and landslide. 76.7% of slope instability is explained by geological structure and seasonality effect in the basin while 23.3% of slope dynamics is explained by other variables not specified in the study. The lower basin remains liable to deposition of materials on river channels and flood plain. The accumulation of sand, stones and alluvial deposits are extracted and exploited for the development prospects of the basin. The study recommends channel and slope management by integrating slope development control policy in drainage basin management and development.

Vegetation Area Monitoring Through NDVI Technique: A Case Study of Dengei Pahad Micro Watershed, Khurda District, Odisha

Watershed treatment includes implementation of participatory micro-watershed-based soil and moisture conservation programs and income generation through proper natural resource management areas. This has led to increased productivity and income. Training and holistic management along with aforestation programs has led to reduction of silt flow to the lake. The assessment revealed that land degradation in the drainage basin not only leads to enhanced silt flow into the lagoon but also causes poverty, due to low productivity in the drainage basin. The drainage basin management program is conceived as a long-term participatory process to achieve an environmentally, economically and socially sustainable management of water resources. The present study deals with periodic assessment and monitoring the vegetation cover of the Dengei pahad micro watershed, Khurda District, Odisha, using NDVI techniques. NDVI is the traditional vegetation index used by researchers for extracting vegetation abundance from remotely sensed data. In essence, the algorithm isolates the dramatic increase in reflectance over the visible red to near infrared wavelengths, and normalized it by dividing by the overall brightness of each pixel in those wavelengths. Satellite data of IRS series from 1999 to 2010 and Resources at series from 2011 to 2014 along with other spatial and non-spatial data were used to find out the changes that occurred in vegetation and other land cover categories during the last 16 years. It was analyzed that dense vegetation cover has decreased up to 20.24 Ha in the year 2010 and after the awareness to the local people by CDA, has taken active role to sustain the natural resource and it has shown positive impact after the analysis through Remote Sensing data. Keywords: Micro-watershed, participatory, degradation, sustainable, NDVI, satellite, remote sensing

Driving forces and their contribution to the recent decrease in sediment flux to ocean of major rivers in China

Understanding the mechanisms behind land–ocean sediment transport processes is crucial, due to the resulting impacts on the sustainable management of water and soil resources. This study investigated temporal trends and historical phases of sediment flux delivered to the sea by nine major rivers in China, while also quantifying the contribution of key anthropogenic and natural driving forces. During the past six decades, sediment flux from these nine major rivers exhibited a statistically significant negative trend, decreasing from 1.92Gtyr−1 during 1954–1968 to 1.39Gtyr−1, 0.861Gtyr−1 and 0.335Gtyr−1 during 1969–1985, 1986–1999 and 2000–2016, respectively. We used a recently developed Sediment Identity approach and found that the sharp decrease in sediment load observed across China was mainly (~95%) caused by a reduction in sediment concentration. Reservoir construction exerted the strongest influence on land–ocean sediment fluxes, while soil conservation measures represented a secondary driver. Before 1999, soil erosion was not controlled effectively in China and reservoirs, especially large ones, played a dominant role in reducing riverine sediments. After 1999, soil erosion has gradually been brought under control across China, so that conservation measures directly accounted for ~40% of the observed decrease in riverine sediments. With intensifying human activities, it is predicted that the total sediment flux delivered to the sea by the nine major rivers will continue to decrease in the coming decades, although at a slower rate, resulting in severe challenges for the sustainable management of drainage basins and river deltas.

Spatial downscaling of climate variables using three statistical methods in Central Iran

Spatial downscaling methods are widely used for the production of bioclimatic variables (e.g. temperature and precipitation) in studies related to species ecological niche and drainage basin management and planning. This study applied three different statistical methods, i.e. the moving window regression (MWR), nonparametric multiplicative regression (NPMR), and generalized linear model (GLM), to downscale the annual mean temperature (Bio1) and annual precipitation (Bio12) in central Iran from coarse scale (1 km × 1 km) to fine scale (250 m ×250 m). Elevation, aspect, distance from sea and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were used as covariates to create downscaled bioclimatic variables. Model assessment was performed by comparing model outcomes with observational data from weather stations. Coefficients of determination (R2), bias, and root-mean-square error (RMSE) were used to evaluate models and covariates. The elevation could effectively justify the changes in bioclimatic factors related to temperature and precipitation. All three models could downscale the mean annual temperature data with similar R2, RMSE, and bias values. The MWR had the best performance and highest accuracy in downscaling annual precipitation (R2=0.70; RMSE=123.44). In general, the two nonparametric models, i.e. MWR and NPMR, can be reliably used for the downscaling of bioclimatic variables which have wide applications in species distribution modeling.

Manejo integrado de cuencas hídricas: cuenca del río Gualjaina, Chubut, Argentina

Gualjaina river, an affluent of the Chubut River, located in the Patagonia Argentina, develops a drainage basin of about 2800 km2. The knowledge of the physical and anthropogenic variables of a river basin, plus the applicable legal framework, aloud the integrated watershed management with the objective of preserve and enforce the environmental sustainability. The researches of the Argentinean drainage basin are scarce and for that, this paper fosters to analyze the legal framework applied to the management of drainage basins focused on the Gualjaina river. Therefore, from the institutional as from the legal aspects, the management of watershed in Chubut province tends to the integrality, through the coordination of the institutions as the “Instituto Provincial del Agua” beside the participation of local people represented through consortiums (“Consorcios”), the educative community and the information media.

Distributed Leadership in Drainage Basin Management: A Critical Analysis of ‘River Chief Policy’ from a Distributed Leadership Perspective

Water resources management has been more significant than ever since the official file stipulated ‘three red lines’ to scrupulously control water usage and water pollution, accelerating the promotion of ‘River Chief Policy’ throughout China. The policy launches creative approaches to include people from different administrative levels to participate and distributes power to increase drainage basin management efficiency. Its execution resembles features of distributed leadership theory, a vastly acknowledged western leadership theory with innovative perspective and visions to suit the modern world. This paper intends to analyse the policy from a distributed leadership perspective using Taylor’s critical policy analysis framework.

Slope Processes, Mass Movement and Soil Erosion: A Review

Soil erosion and land degradation are global problems and pose major issues in many countries. Both soil erosion and mass movement are two forms of land degradation and humans play important roles in these geomorphological processes. This paper reviews slope processes associated with mass movement and soil erosion and contributory factors, including physical and human agents. Acting together, these cause diverse geomorphological features. Slope processes are illustrated by reference to case studies from Brazil and UK. The causes and impacts of erosion are discussed, along with appropriate remedial bioengineering methods and the potential of the measures to prevent these types of environmental degradation. Although there are several agents of erosion, water is the most important one. Cultivation can promote soil erosion, due to ploughing and harvesting, which moves soil down slopes. Soil erosion and mass movement data would inform the viability of soil conservation practices. Integrated management of drainage basins offers a promising way forward for effective soil conservation and soil remedial bioengineering in Brazil and UK.

Economic valuation of improved management of Dechatu drainage basin in Dire Dawa Administration, Ethiopia

Economic valuation of improved management of Dechatu drainage basin in Dire Dawa Administration, Ethiopia

Catchment delineation and morphometric analysis using geographical information system.

The geographical information system (GIS) has emerged as an efficient tool in delineation of drainage patterns of watershed planning and management. The morphometric parameters of basins can address linear, areal and relief aspects. The study deals with the integrated watershed management of Baliya micro-watersheds, located in the Udaipur district of Rajasthan, India. Morphometric analysis in hydrological investigation is an important aspect and it is inevitable in the development and management of drainage basins. The determination of linear, areal and relief parameters indicate fairly good significance. The low value of the bifurcation ratio of 4.19 revealed that the drainage pattern has not been distorted by structural disturbance. The high value of the elongation ratio (0.68) compared to the circulatory ratio (0.27) indicates an elongated shape of the watershed. The high value of drainage density (5.39 km/km(2)) and stream frequency (12.32) shows that the region has impermeable subsoil material under poor vegetative cover with a low relief factor. The morphometric parameters of relief ratio (0.041) and relative relief (0.99%) show that the watershed can be treated using GIS techniques to determine the morphometric presence of dendritic drainage pattern, with a view to selecting the soil and water conservation measures and water harvesting.

Watershed prioritization of Palar sub-watershed based on the morphometric and land use analysis

Morphometric analysis is an indispensable tool for hydrological investigation that involves the development and management of drainage basin. This study characterizes the micro watersheds in the Palar sub-watershed using morphometric analysis and assesses its risk by land use and land cover features in a particular micro watershed. Palar sub-watershed is divided into 6 micro watersheds for prioritization based on morphometric and land use analysis. Several morphometric parameters (linear, shape and relief) are determined from the drainage map; ranks are assigned based on their capacity to induce erodability and degradation. Final ranking is based on the composite index calculated from the sum of the ranks of each morphometric parameter. Morphometric analysis reveals micro watersheds 5 and 6 as most susceptible and 2 and 3 as low susceptible. Land use is mapped using IRS ID LISS III satellite data. The risk in terms of watershed degradation involved to each micro watershed is based on the ranks of each land use feature, obtained from a similar composite index as that of morphometric analysis. Land use analysis shows that micro watersheds 2 and 4 fall under high priority category while 5 and 6 under low priority category. Integration of the morphometric and land use analysis shows that only micro watershed 1 falls under the same category in both analyses. Control measures are suggested to contain degradation depending on its specific land use pattern and morphometric features. This study can be used to prepare a comprehensive watershed plan for the development or for planning resource conservation strategies, by integrating land use features with the drainage characteristics of the region, in particular for a hill ecosystem as the prioritization is at micro level.

Erosão e Conservação de Solos no Brasil

Brazil covers 8,547,403 km² and is divided into five regions (Northern, North Western, Central Western, South Eastern and Southern). The diversity of climate, geology, topography, biota and human activities have contributed to the considerable diversity of soil types and thus soil erosion problems. National soils can be classified into 12 classes. These are: Oxisols (38.7%), Alfisols (20.0%), Inceptisols (2.7%), Mollisols (0.5%), Spodosols (1.6%), Gleysols (3.7%), Aridisols (2.7%), Entisols (14.5%), Vertisols (2.0%), Ultisols (1.8%), Plinthosols (6%) and Alisols (4.3%). The erodibility of these Soil Orders is reviewed and is mainly related to soil texture. Sands and loamy sands are especially erodible. Soil erosion patterns are complex, being influenced by rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, topography, land use and management characteristics. Urban areas have specific erosion problems and there are illustrated using a case study from Sao Luis (north-east Brazil). Soil erosion rates can be excessive, in some cases exceeding 100 tonnes per hectare per year. Particularly serious soil erosion is associated with six regions. These are north-western Parana State; the Central Plateau, in the Centre Western Region; Western Sao Paulo State; the Paraiba do Sul middle drainage basin, in Rio de Janeiro State; Campanha Gaucha in Rio Grande do Sul State and Triângulo Mineiro, in western Minas Gerais State. Examples of effective soil conservation are presented, using case studies from both Parana and Santa Catarina States. Integrated management of drainage basins offers a promising way forward for effective soil conservation in Brazil.

URGENSI PERATURAN DAERAH PENGELOLAAN DAERAH ALIRAN SUNGAI BENGAWAN SOLO DALAM RANGKA PENGUATAN FUNGSI LINGKUNGAN HIDUP DAN GOOD GOVERNANCE

The damage of Drainage Basin (DAS) comes to be a factor on the unavoidable flooding disaster area. In Indonesia, most of Drainage Basins – particularly in Java including Bengawan Solo Drainage Basin have experienced damage. This research is to analyze the urgency of the local regulation on the management of Bengawan Solo Drainage Basin in order to strengthen the function of ecosystem and good government. The method used in this research is a judicial-empirical or non- doctrinal method. The result of the research concludes that in such condition in which the threat of the crisis of support capability on ecosystem and environment being faced by Indonesia is so real. Hence, legislation of legal norms on the management of Integrated Drainage Basin at Bengawan Solo is highly needed along with the intention to strengthen the democracy and constitutional state and management of Good Governance. On the other hand, in Central Government, there has been Government Regulation No. 37 Year 2012 about the Management of Drainage Basin and it is time to follow up in the form of Local Regulation.

Impact of human activity and climate change on suspended sediment load: the upper Yellow River, China

Fluvial suspended sediment has multi-fold environmental implications and the study of the variation in suspended sediment load (SSL) of rivers is important both in environmental earth sciences and in river environmental management. Based on data collected for the upper Yellow River of China in the past 50–60 years, the purpose of this study is to elucidate the impact of human activity and climate change on SSL, thereby to provide some knowledge for the improvement of the drainage basin management. The results show that the SSL of the upper Yellow River exhibited a remarkable decreasing trend. A number of reservoirs trapped a considerable amount of sediment, resulting in a reduction in SSL at Toudaoguai station, the most downstream station of the upper Yellow River. The analyses based on Mann–Kendall’U and double-mass plot indicate some turning points, which were caused by the Liujiaxia and Longyangxia Reservoirs, two major reservoirs on the upper Yellow River. The implementation of soil and water conservation measures reduced the runoff coefficient, and therefore, the intensity of soil erosion. The climate change also played a role in reducing sediment yield. The increase in air temperature enhanced the evapo-transpiration and reduced the runoff, by which the SSL decreased. The decreased frequency of sand-dust storms reduced the amount of wind-blown, sand and dust to the river reaches located in desert, also reducing the SSL. Seven influencing variables are selected to describe the changing human activity and climate. As some of the influencing variables are strongly inter-correlated, the principle component regression was used to establish the relationship between SSL and the influencing variables. The squared multiple correlation coefficient is R 2 = 0.823. Some further research is suggested with the minerals and pollutants related with the SSL.