ASSESSMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT ON THE WATER BALANCE OF LAKE HAWASSA WATERSHED

Abstract

Assessing the climatic change impact on the water balance of a watershed is vital to develop sound management plans in current and future periods. The main objective of this study was assessing the climatic change impact on the water balance of Lake Hawassa watershed. The study was focused on the projection of climate variables, assessing the historical and future water balance components, and also evaluating the impacts of climate change on the stream flows of Lake Hawassa watersde. The Soil and water Assessment Tool (SWAT) mode was used for assessing the water balance components and to evaluate the climate change impact on the stream flows of Lake Hawassa catchment. SDSM (statistical downscaling model) was used under General circulation model set up for climate modeling. The water balance components of the watershed were computed in gauged and unguaged catchments. According to the SWAT model result in the gauged catchment, the historical average annual precipitation, surface runoff and the evapotranspiration (ET) were 1068.3mm, 155.11mm and 688.3mm respectively. In 2080 for RCP 8.5 the average annual precipitation, Surface runoff and ET will be 972.15mm, 143.17mm, and 812.19mm respectively. The climate change impact on the water balance components of Lake Hawassa watershed was evaluated for RCPs 2.6, 4.5 & 8.5 emission scenarios in the three time periods (i.e. 2020 (2022- 2040), 2050(2041-2070) and 2080(2071-2099). The result from climate model showed a general increasing trend for maximum and minimum temperatures and decreasing trend for precipitation in all the three time periods for all the three emission scenarios. The impact of climate change on the seasonal stream flows of the watershed will generally increases in the Kiremt season in 2020 and 2050 for all scenarios but decreases in Bega and Belg seasons for all time period in all RCPs. The future annual precipitation, Surface runoff, lateral flow, shallow groundwater recharge and water yield will be decreased up to 9 % and 9.9 % respectively and the increase in ET may reach up to 22% at the end of 2099 for RCP_8.5. Due to climate change the future water availability will be reduced in Lake Hawassa watershed. Therefore, the design and implementation of appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies to the watershed by the decision makers may reduce the adverse effect of climate change.