Analysis of wetland changes and the impact of LULC changes on hydrology in the case of East Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia

ABSTRACT Planning for water resources management requires an understanding of how a watershed's hydrology responds to changes in land use and land cover (LULC). This study assesses the effects of LULC changes on the hydrological processes and analysis of wetland change in the Yewula watershed, located in the East Gojjam Zone, Ethiopia. Landsat images from 1994 and 2023 were used to classify LULC through supervised classification. LULC changes were assessed hydrologically using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Key input data included land use/land cover (LULC), digital elevation model (DEM), soil, and meteorological datasets. Results revealed substantial reductions in wetland (−55.96%), forest (−44.17%), shrubland (−31.76%), and woodland (−31.44%) cover, while cropland (+15.5%), barren land (+19.34%), and settlement areas (+19.15%) expanded over the same period. The LULC changes, which occurred during the period of 1994–2023, had increased the average surface runoff (17.5%) and water yield (15.05%). Conversely, the observed changes had reduced lateral flow (28.14%), groundwater flow (28.95%), and evapotranspiration (ET) (22.15%). Understanding how LULC changes affect hydrology and analyzing the wetland change is essential for managing water resources and LULC together. Water resource development planning must consider LULC changes to achieve sustainable development in the catchment.