Analysis of the role of land use change on the flooding of Shahrokh Castle catchment area

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 yazd university

2 Faculty of Yazd University

10.30467/nivar.2024.425861.1273

Abstract

The lack of proper management of water and soil resources, competition and demand in the use of water and soil resources, population growth and climate changes have caused the issues related to the change of uses and water resources to become one of the challenges of mankind in the last decade. Land use change has an effect on the water storage in the basins and is considered one of the main factors affecting the hydrological cycle. Shahrokh Castle catchment area is one of the sub-basins of Zayandeh Rood Dam with an area of 1504 square kilometers. In this research, Landsat satellite images were used for the four years of 1999, 2005, 2013 and 2019, and these images were processed and classified, and vegetation and land use maps were prepared. The results showed that between 1999 and 2019, the density of vegetation in the region has decreased and the area of residential and road areas and barren land has increased. Also, the area of gardens and farms and water coverage has decreased. In order to determine the effect of land use change on the flooding of Qala Shahrokh basin, the US Soil Conservation Organization equation was used, and by using regression relationships, it was found that rainfall had a much greater effect on flooding and land use change did not have a significant effect. Considering the downward trend of precipitation and runoff in the catchment area of Shahrokh Castle and in the base period, the present study, while expressing the importance of the potential effects of climate change on the hydrological status of the basin, notes the need to pay attention to the discussion of climate change and its consequences in the water resources management of the basin. This study helps water resource managers in understanding the causes of hydrological dynamics.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 31 January 2024
  • Receive Date: 19 November 2023
  • Accept Date: 31 January 2024
  • First Publish Date: 31 January 2024