| Title: | A review of SWAT model application in Africa |
| Authors: | Akoko, G., T.U. Le, T. Gomi and T. Kato |
| Year: | 2021 |
| Journal: | Water |
| Volume (Issue): | 13(9) |
| Pages: | |
| Article ID: | 1313 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/w13091313 |
| URL (non-DOI journals): | |
| Model: | SWAT |
| Broad Application Category: | review/history |
| Primary Application Category: | climate change |
| Secondary Application Category: | sediment loss and transport |
| Watershed Description: | None |
| Calibration Summary: | |
| Validation Summary: | |
| General Comments: | The primary and secondary categories chosen here represent just two of several subject areas reviewed by the authors for SWAT applications in Africa. |
| Abstract: | The soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) is a well-known hydrological modeling tool that
has been applied in various hydrologic and environmental simulations. A total of 206 studies over a
15-year period (2005–2019) were identified from various peer-reviewed scientific journals listed on the
SWAT website database, which is supported by the Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development
(CARD). These studies were categorized into five areas, namely applications considering: water
resources and streamflow, erosion and sedimentation, land-use management and agricultural-related
contexts, climate-change contexts, and model parameterization and dataset inputs. Water resources
studies were applied to understand hydrological processes and responses in various river basins.
Land-use and agriculture-related context studies mainly analyzed impacts and mitigation measures
on the environment and provided insights into better environmental management. Erosion and
sedimentation studies using the SWAT model were done to quantify sediment yield and evaluate soil
conservation measures. Climate-change context studies mainly demonstrated streamflow sensitivity
to weather changes. The model parameterization studies highlighted parameter selection in streamflow
analysis, model improvements, and basin scale calibrations. Dataset inputs mainly compared
simulations with rain-gauge and global rainfall data sources. The challenges and advantages of
the SWAT model’s applications, which range from data availability and prediction uncertainties to
the model’s capability in various applications, are highlighted. Discussions on considerations for
future simulations such as data sharing, and potential for better future analysis are also highlighted.
Increased efforts in local data availability and a multidimensional approach in future simulations
are recommended.
Keywords: |
| Language: | English |
| Keywords: | SWAT model; Africa; review; applications; challenges |