Examining the impacts of climate variabilities and land use change on hydrological responses of Awash River basin, Ethiopia

Abstract

Environment and climate changes have been posing pressure on the quality and quantity of water resources. The research examined the hydrological response of upper Awash River basin under the influences of environmental and climate changes. The climate change results up to 77.5% and 100.5% increament in annual and wet season monthly river flow, respectively when using projected climate data of RCP4.5. Whereas, the land use change alterss river flow in a one digit percentile increment/ decrement. It was observed that effects of both climate and land use changes will likely to increase the river flow and possibly cause flooding in the upper Awash River basin. The land use change impact can be alleviated by implementing appropriate land use management practices. The climate change mitigation needs long term process; as a result climate change adaptation mechanisms are recommended for the short term while employing climate mitigation options in the long run.