Abstract:
The influence of land use and land cover (LULC) changes on hydrological processes in data-scarce regions
such as the Ouémé River basin is unclear, but it is crucial for sustainable water management and flood
mitigation. This study assessed the relationship between LULC changes and changes in water balance
using four LULC maps and climate data across three periods within 1998–2016 in the Soil and Water
Assessment Tool (SWAT). Model calibration yielded NSE � 0:8 2, RSR � 0:42 and PBIAS � 12:8, while
validation yielded NSE � 0:81, RSR � 0:43 and PBIAS � 14:4. At the basin scale, expansions in agricultural
land and settlements/bare land and loss of savanna and forest areas increased runoff by 66% and
reduced baseflow (13%), lateral flow (6%), aquifer recharge (7%) and evapotranspiration (1%). Surface
runoff was consistently predicted across periods, making it a key water balance indicator. The findings
underscore the need for reforestation, sustainable farming and urban planning to mitigate floods.
Description:
A Publication submitted to the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Climate Change and Land Use
