Rainfall-Runoff Process and Groundwater Recharge in the Upper Blue Nile Basin: The Case of Dangishta Watershed

2019 ◽  
pp. 536-549
Author(s):  
Abdu Yimer Yimam ◽  
Ayele Mamo Bekele ◽  
Prossie Nakawuka ◽  
Petra Schmitter ◽  
Seifu Admasu Tilahun
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Rainfall Runoff ◽  
Nile Basin ◽  
Blue Nile ◽  
Blue Nile Basin ◽  
Upper Blue Nile Basin

scholarly journals Analyzing runoff processes through conceptual hydrological modeling in the Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 5149-5167 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Dessie ◽  
N. E. C. Verhoest ◽  
V. R. N. Pauwels ◽  
T. Admasu ◽  
J. Poesen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Rainfall Runoff ◽  
Nile Basin ◽  
Blue Nile ◽  
Direct Runoff ◽  
Blue Nile Basin ◽  
Hard Soil ◽  
Production Areas ◽  
Runoff Production ◽  
Upper Blue Nile Basin

Abstract. Understanding runoff processes in a basin is of paramount importance for the effective planning and management of water resources, in particular in data-scarce regions such as the Upper Blue Nile. Hydrological models representing the underlying hydrological processes can predict river discharges from ungauged catchments and allow for an understanding of the rainfall–runoff processes in those catchments. In this paper, such a conceptual process-based hydrological model is developed and applied to the upper Gumara and Gilgel Abay catchments (both located within the Upper Blue Nile Basin, the Lake Tana sub-basin) to study the runoff mechanisms and rainfall–runoff processes in the basin. Topography is considered as a proxy for the variability of most of the catchment characteristics. We divided the catchments into different runoff production areas using topographic criteria. Impermeable surfaces (rock outcrops and hard soil pans, common in the Upper Blue Nile Basin) were considered separately in the conceptual model. Based on model results, it can be inferred that about 65% of the runoff appears in the form of interflow in the Gumara study catchment, and baseflow constitutes the larger proportion of runoff (44–48%) in the Gilgel Abay catchment. Direct runoff represents a smaller fraction of the runoff in both catchments (18–19% for the Gumara, and 20% for the Gilgel Abay) and most of this direct runoff is generated through infiltration excess runoff mechanism from the impermeable rocks or hard soil pans. The study reveals that the hillslopes are recharge areas (sources of interflow and deep percolation) and direct runoff as saturated excess flow prevails from the flat slope areas. Overall, the model study suggests that identifying the catchments into different runoff production areas based on topography and including the impermeable rocky areas separately in the modeling process mimics the rainfall–runoff process in the Upper Blue Nile Basin well and yields a useful result for operational management of water resources in this data-scarce region.

scholarly journals Modelling rainfall–runoff processes of the Chemoga and Jedeb meso-scale catchments in the Abay/Upper Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia

2015 ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sirak Tekleab ◽  
Stefan Uhlenbrook ◽  
Hubert H.G. Savenije ◽  
Yasir Mohamed ◽  
Jochen Wenninger
Keyword(s):  
Rainfall Runoff ◽  
Nile Basin ◽  
Blue Nile ◽  
Blue Nile Basin ◽  
Meso Scale ◽  
Upper Blue Nile Basin

Groundwater Recharge and Contribution to the Tana Sub-basin, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia

2015 ◽  
pp. 463-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anteneh Z. Abiy ◽  
Solomon S. Demissie ◽  
Charlotte MacAlister ◽  
Shimelis B. Dessu ◽  
Assefa M. Melesse
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Nile Basin ◽  
Blue Nile ◽  
Blue Nile Basin ◽  
Upper Blue Nile Basin

Performance of bias corrected MPEG rainfall estimate for rainfall-runoff simulation in the upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia

2018 ◽  
Vol 556 ◽  
pp. 1182-1191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abeyou W. Worqlul ◽  
Essayas K. Ayana ◽  
Ben H.P. Maathuis ◽  
Charlotte MacAlister ◽  
William D. Philpot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rainfall Runoff ◽  
Nile Basin ◽  
Runoff Simulation ◽  
Blue Nile ◽  
Blue Nile Basin ◽  
Upper Blue Nile Basin

scholarly journals Analyzing runoff processes through conceptual hydrological modelling in the Upper Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 5287-5325 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Dessie ◽  
N. E. C. Verhoest ◽  
V. R. N. Pauwels ◽  
T. Admasu ◽  
J. Poesen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Rainfall Runoff ◽  
Nile Basin ◽  
Blue Nile ◽  
Direct Runoff ◽  
Blue Nile Basin ◽  
Hard Soil ◽  
Production Areas ◽  
Runoff Production ◽  
Upper Blue Nile Basin

Abstract. Understanding runoff processes in a basin is of paramount importance for the effective planning and management of water resources, in particular in data scarce regions of the Upper Blue Nile. Hydrological models representing the underlying hydrological processes can predict river discharges from ungauged catchments and allow for an understanding of the rainfall–runoff processes in those catchments. In this paper, such a conceptual process-based hydrological model is developed and applied to the upper Gumara and Gilgel Abay catchments (both located within the Upper Blue Nile basin, the Lake Tana sub-basin) to study the runoff mechanisms and rainfall–runoff processes in the basin. Topography is considered as a proxy for the variability of most of the catchment characteristics. We divided the catchments into different runoff production areas using topographic criteria. Impermeable surfaces (rock outcrops and hard soil pans, common in the Upper Blue Nile basin) were considered separately in the conceptual model. Based on model results, it can be inferred that about 65% of the runoff appears in the form of interflow in the Gumara study catchment, and baseflow constitutes the larger proportion of runoff (44–48%) in the Gilgel Abay catchment. Direct runoff represents a smaller fraction of the runoff in both catchments (18–19% for the Gumara, and 20% for the Gilgel Abay) and most of this direct runoff is generated through infiltration excess runoff mechanism from the impermeable rocks or hard soil pans. The study reveals that the hillslopes are recharge areas (sources of interflow and deep percolation) and direct runoff as saturated excess flow prevails from the flat slope areas. Overall, the model study suggests that identifying the catchments into different runoff production areas based on topography and including the impermeable rocky areas separately in the modeling process mimics well the rainfall–runoff process in the Upper Blue Nile basin and brings a useful result for operational management of water resources in this data scarce region.

scholarly journals Multi-Dimensional Drought Assessment in Abbay/Upper Blue Nile Basin: The Importance of Shared Management and Regional Coordination Efforts for Mitigation

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1835
Author(s):  
Yared Bayissa ◽  
Semu Moges ◽  
Assefa Melesse ◽  
Tsegaye Tadesse ◽  
Anteneh Z. Abiy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Earth Observation ◽  
Drought Indices ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Nile Basin ◽  
Blue Nile ◽  
Blue Nile Basin ◽  
Small Streams ◽  
Upper Blue Nile Basin

Drought is one of the least understood and complex natural hazards often characterized by a significant decrease in water availability for a prolonged period. It can be manifested in one or more forms as meteorological, agricultural, hydrological, and/or socio-economic drought. The overarching objective of this study is to demonstrate and characterize the different forms of droughts and to assess the multidimensional nature of drought in the Abbay/ Upper Blue Nile River (UBN) basin and its national and regional scale implications. In this study, multiple drought indices derived from in situ and earth observation-based hydro-climatic variables were used. The meteorological drought was characterized using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) computed from the earth observation-based gridded CHIRPS (Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station) rainfall data. Agricultural and hydrological droughts were characterized by using the Soil Moisture Deficit Index (SMDI) and Standardized Runoff-discharge Index (SRI), respectively. The monthly time series of SMDI was derived from model-based gridded soil moisture and SRI from observed streamflow data from 1982 to 2019. The preliminary result illustrates the good performance of the drought indices in capturing the historic severe drought events (e.g., 1984 and 2002) and the spatial extents across the basin. The results further indicated that all forms of droughts (i.e., meteorological, agricultural, and hydrological) occurred concurrently in Abbay/Upper Blue Nile basin with a Pearson correlation coefficient ranges from 0.5 to 0.85 both Kiremt and annual aggregate periods. The concurrent nature of drought is leading to a multi-dimensional socio-economic crisis as indicated by rainfall, and soil moisture deficits, and drying of small streams. Multi-dimensional drought mitigation necessitates regional cooperation and watershed management to protect both the common water sources of the Abbay/Upper Blue Nile basin and the socio-economic activities of the society in the basin. This study also underlines the need for multi-scale drought monitoring and management practices in the basin.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document