GIS-based hydrologic modeling in the Qinhuai River Basin associated with land use changes

In the last thirty years, the Qinhuai River Basin has experienced a rapid urban development and population growth, resulting in great land use changes. The SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model was applied to simulate daily runoff associated with land use changes. The spatially distributed parameters were obtained with the help of GIS (Geographic Information System) interface. The runoff calibration was conducted from 1988 to 1997, and nine years (1998 to 2006) of data were used for validation, with four land use maps, representing land use conditions of corresponding water years. Results showed that simulation of daily runoff was satisfactory, indicating SWAT had the capability of adequately simulating the effect on runoff from the temporal and spatial variability in the Qinhuai River Basin. This study was also an essential basis for further assessing the impact of land use changes on hydrology and hydrological response to different land use scenarios.