Abstract
Estimation of streamflow in ungauged catchments is receiving broad research attention for water resources planning and management. Therefore, regionalization of model parameters and spot streamflow measurements have their importance in filling such data gaps. In this study, a regionalization model was established for the estimation of streamflow in ungauged catchments of the Rift Valley Lakes basin in Ethiopia. The Hydrologiska Byråns Vattenbalansavdelning-Integrated Hydrological Modeling System (HBV-IHMS) was calibrated for 14 gauged catchments using bias-corrected satellite rainfall data as model input. Out of which, 8 catchments were selected to develop a regional model due to a similar cluster with spot flow measured catchments and was found that the model performance was acceptable. In these catchments, the calibrated model reproduced the overall pattern and base flow of the observed hydrograph. To establish the regional model, 9 Model Parameters and 32 Physical Catchment Characteristics were used in multiple regression. Daily streamflow data were recorded for three spot measurement rivers sites (Kulfo, Hare, and Hamessa) to serve as validation data for the regionalization model. The validation result showed that the regional model can be applied for ungauged flow estimation in the basin since the Nash–Sutcliffe Coefficient (NSE) is greater than 0.50 and the Relative Volume Error (RVE) is within − 10 to 10%. The combined use of regionalization and spot streamflow measurements is a feasible approach for overcoming data gaps. This study is vital to the Rift Valley Lakes basin authority, scientific community, and decision-makers to undertake spot streamflow measurement in ungauged catchments for water resources management.
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The datasets used in the current study are available from the first and corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Arab Minch University Water Resources Research Center for providing support during field work and data analysis. We also extend our thanks to Rift Valley Lakes Bain Authority and site data collectors
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This research was supported by Arba Minch University, Water Resources Research Center.
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Mada, Z.M., Ayalew, A.T., Amsie, A.B. et al. Evaluation of regionalization parameters for stream flow prediction in ungauged catchments of Rift Valley Lakes Basin, Ethiopia. Model. Earth Syst. Environ. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-024-01977-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-024-01977-6