Hydrologic impacts of cascading reservoirs in the middle and lower Hanjiang River basin under climate variability and land use change

Middle and lower Hanjiang River (MLHR) basin, China. Changes in streamflow are often due to intertwined factors like climatic variability, land use change, hydraulic constructions, whose relative impact is however poorly understood. In this study, we disentangled these effects by comparing real data modelled scenarios of catchment behaviour. Modelled employ the soil water assessment tool (SWAT), whereas scenario comparison uses Indicators Hydrologic Alteration (IHA). Our analyses show that (1) watershed inlet was major factor altered regime at outlet, which pointed us consider only contribution further analyses. (2) Climate variability main driver net changes natural hydrological regime, downplayed effect change on variability. (3) The regulation associated progressive increase reservoirs their operation significantly flow pattern, causing a general decrease average streamflow, an attenuation extreme events indicators, alteration pulse pattern with more frequent but shorter pulses. (4) withdrawals MLHR were estimated, 8.03 × 109 m3/year. Overall, research provides path assess hydrologic cascading basin level under climate elsewhere.