STREAMFLOW RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE ON TIKUR WUHA SUB WATERSHED, RIFT VALLEY BASIN, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Climate changes alter regional hydrologic conditions and results in a variety of impacts on water resource systems. Such hydrologic changes will affect almost every aspect of human well-being. Simulation models of watershed hydrology and water quality are extensively used for water resources planning and management. This study aims to assess the streamflow response to Climate Change on Tikur Wuha Sub-watershed, Rift Valley Basin of Ethiopia. In the study the daily hydro-meteorological data values for the baseline period of 1981-2005 were used. Historical Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) data along with observed data of precipitation and temperature were used for extraction and bias correction using CMhyd tool. After evaluation of bias correction methods using residual plot, and RMSE, MAE and RE, the downscaled climate data such as, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios was used for the future period assessment. Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) models were used to assess the streamflow response to Climate Change. Calibration and validation of the model output were performed by comparing simulated streamflow with corresponding measurements from the Tikur Wuha outlet for the periods of 1992-2001 for calibration and 2002-2005 for validation using SWAT-CUP(SUFI-2). The model calibration and validation results shows a good agreement with the observed flow with the coefficient of determination 0.79 and 0.86, and a Nash Sutcliffe efficiency was 0.56 and 0.64, respectively. The result of projected temperature reveals a systematic increase in all future time periods for both RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios, and for all considered period whereas the projected result of precipitation was inconsistent throughout all future time periods and for both RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios. The dynamically downscaled daily climate variables (precipitation and temperature) were used to simulate future projections of streamflow. Streamflow projections for future time periods showed that mean annual streamflow may increase by 15.43, 23.48, and 25.42% in 2020s, 2050s, and 2080s, respectively, from the baseline period for RCP 4.5 scenario, whereas for RCP 8.5 scenario, it will be expected to increase by 29.58, 34.20, and 38.72% in 2020s, 2050s, and 2080s, respectively. The model simulations considered only future climate change scenarios assuming all spatial data constant. Therefore, future study need to consider impact of land use/cover change on the sub-watershed for future sustainable development plan.