Dynamics of landuse change impact on streamflow, ET, and sediment flux using hydrological simulation

Changes in landuse in the past and present have high impact on the dynamics of streamflow, evapotranspiration (ET), and sediment flux that would improve the understanding and assessment of changes for predicting hydrological consequences of a river basin. Landuse change is considered as one of the most influencing factors that affects the streamflow of major river basins in India. The main objective of the study is to assess the landuse change impacts on hydrology of the Mahanadi River basin in India. The Mahanadi River is one of the major east flowing rivers in India, which flows through the states of Odisha and Chhattisgarh and finally ends in the Bay of Bengal. The study is carried out for the period of 2000 to 2020, assessing 21 years of changes in the landuse and its effects on the streamflow, sediment, and ET. To accomplish this, hydrological modelling is used with the land use maps for 21 years using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Keywords: Landuse, streamflow, ET, sediment yield, Mahanadi River, SWAT.