Coupled SWAT-MODFLOW model for assessing watershed responses to groundwater sustainability: A novel ensemble approach
Study Region: Gilgel Gibe Watershed, Omo Gibe River Basin, Ethiopia. Study Focus: Groundwater depletion adversely affects ecosystem health, leading to reduced vegetation cover, changes in habitat suitability, and increased vulnerability to environmental stress. Quantifying groundwater sustainability...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221458182500518X |
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| author | Tarekegn Dejen Mengistu Il-Moon Chung Mingyu Kim Sun Woo Chang |
| author_facet | Tarekegn Dejen Mengistu Il-Moon Chung Mingyu Kim Sun Woo Chang |
| author_sort | Tarekegn Dejen Mengistu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Study Region: Gilgel Gibe Watershed, Omo Gibe River Basin, Ethiopia. Study Focus: Groundwater depletion adversely affects ecosystem health, leading to reduced vegetation cover, changes in habitat suitability, and increased vulnerability to environmental stress. Quantifying groundwater sustainability under surface water-groundwater interactions is crucial for understanding system responses to anthropogenic changes. Hence, the main objective of this study was to quantify groundwater sustainability using a novel ensemble approach of the coupled SWAT-MODFLOW model. The performance of the integrated SWAT-MODFLOW model was assessed using the Parameter Estimation Tool (PEST) with streamflow and aquifer properties, and was found to be in reasonable agreement between the predicted and observed values. New hydrological insights: Annual ensemble values of exploitable amounts of groundwater discharge, minimum desirable flow, and groundwater recharge were used to compute the groundwater footprint and sustainability. The overall basin-wide groundwater footprint was moderately depleted, revealing the need for effective management strategies to mitigate long-term groundwater decline and vulnerability to groundwater droughts. This has resulted in food insecurity due to diminished crop yields and shifting agricultural practices. Overall, this study offers valuable insights for developing informed policy frameworks that prioritise resilient watershed management to support the achievement of sustainable development goals. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0b0b4fda24a14d48877e4cb6077aab40 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2214-5818 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-0b0b4fda24a14d48877e4cb6077aab402025-08-20T03:59:22ZengElsevierJournal of Hydrology: Regional Studies2214-58182025-10-016110268910.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102689Coupled SWAT-MODFLOW model for assessing watershed responses to groundwater sustainability: A novel ensemble approachTarekegn Dejen Mengistu0Il-Moon Chung1Mingyu Kim2Sun Woo Chang3Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea; Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Goyang 10223, Republic of Korea; Correspondence to: The University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea; Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Goyang 10223, Republic of KoreaKorea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Goyang 10223, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon 34113, Republic of Korea; Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, Goyang 10223, Republic of KoreaStudy Region: Gilgel Gibe Watershed, Omo Gibe River Basin, Ethiopia. Study Focus: Groundwater depletion adversely affects ecosystem health, leading to reduced vegetation cover, changes in habitat suitability, and increased vulnerability to environmental stress. Quantifying groundwater sustainability under surface water-groundwater interactions is crucial for understanding system responses to anthropogenic changes. Hence, the main objective of this study was to quantify groundwater sustainability using a novel ensemble approach of the coupled SWAT-MODFLOW model. The performance of the integrated SWAT-MODFLOW model was assessed using the Parameter Estimation Tool (PEST) with streamflow and aquifer properties, and was found to be in reasonable agreement between the predicted and observed values. New hydrological insights: Annual ensemble values of exploitable amounts of groundwater discharge, minimum desirable flow, and groundwater recharge were used to compute the groundwater footprint and sustainability. The overall basin-wide groundwater footprint was moderately depleted, revealing the need for effective management strategies to mitigate long-term groundwater decline and vulnerability to groundwater droughts. This has resulted in food insecurity due to diminished crop yields and shifting agricultural practices. Overall, this study offers valuable insights for developing informed policy frameworks that prioritise resilient watershed management to support the achievement of sustainable development goals.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221458182500518XGroundwater FootprintGroundwater RechargeGroundwater SustainabilitySWAT-MODFLOW |
| spellingShingle | Tarekegn Dejen Mengistu Il-Moon Chung Mingyu Kim Sun Woo Chang Coupled SWAT-MODFLOW model for assessing watershed responses to groundwater sustainability: A novel ensemble approach Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies Groundwater Footprint Groundwater Recharge Groundwater Sustainability SWAT-MODFLOW |
| title | Coupled SWAT-MODFLOW model for assessing watershed responses to groundwater sustainability: A novel ensemble approach |
| title_full | Coupled SWAT-MODFLOW model for assessing watershed responses to groundwater sustainability: A novel ensemble approach |
| title_fullStr | Coupled SWAT-MODFLOW model for assessing watershed responses to groundwater sustainability: A novel ensemble approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coupled SWAT-MODFLOW model for assessing watershed responses to groundwater sustainability: A novel ensemble approach |
| title_short | Coupled SWAT-MODFLOW model for assessing watershed responses to groundwater sustainability: A novel ensemble approach |
| title_sort | coupled swat modflow model for assessing watershed responses to groundwater sustainability a novel ensemble approach |
| topic | Groundwater Footprint Groundwater Recharge Groundwater Sustainability SWAT-MODFLOW |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221458182500518X |
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