Title: | Quantitative evaluation of the impact of climate change and human activity on runoff change in the Dongjiang River Basin, China |
Authors: | Zhou, Y., C. Lai, Z. Wang, X. Chen, Z. Zeng, J. Chen and X. Bai |
Year: | 2018 |
Journal: | Water |
Volume (Issue): | 10 |
Pages: | |
Article ID: | 571 |
DOI: | 10.3390/w10050571 |
URL (non-DOI journals): | |
Model: | SWAT |
Broad Application Category: | hydrologic only |
Primary Application Category: | climate change and human activities change |
Secondary Application Category: | hydrologic assessment |
Watershed Description: | 27,040 km^2 Dongjiang River, located in southeast China. |
Calibration Summary: | |
Validation Summary: | |
General Comments: | |
Abstract: | Climate change and human activity are typically regarded as the two most important
factors affecting runoff. Quantitative evaluation of the impact of climate change and human activity
on runoff is important for the protection, planning, and management of water resources. This study
assesses the contributions of climate change and human activity to runoff change in the Dongjiang
River basin from 1960 to 2005 by using linear regression, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT)
hydrologic model, and the climate elasticity method. Results indicate that the annual temperature in
the basin significantly increased, whereas the pan evaporation in the basin significantly decreased
(95%). The natural period ranged from 1960 to 1990, and the affected period ranged from 1991 to 2005.
The percentage of urban area during the natural period, which was 1.94, increased to 4.79 during the
affected period. SWAT modeling of the Dongjiang River basin exhibited a reasonable and reliable
performance. The impacts induced by human activity on runoff change were as follows: 39% in the
upstream area, 13% in the midstream area, 77% in the downstream area, and 42% in the entire basin.
The impacts of human activity on runoff change were greater in the downstream area than in either
upstream and midstream areas. However, the contribution of climate change (58%) is slightly larger
than that of human activity (42%) in the whole basin. |
Language: | English |
Keywords: | runoff change; hydrological simulation; climate change; land use change; Dongjiang
River basin |