TITLE:
Impact of Urbanization on the Hydrological Cycle of Migina Catchment, Rwanda
AUTHORS:
Olivier Clement Gatwaza, Xin Cao, Mukete Beckline
KEYWORDS:
Water Resources, Urban Planning, Urbanization, Hydrological Cycle, Land Cover, Migina Catchment Rwanda
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.3 No.7,
July
19,
2016
ABSTRACT:
In this study, we carry out an assessment of the impact of urbanization on
Butare, southern Rwanda and evaluate its effect on the hydrological process at
the Migina catchment. We used data from the meteorological stations of the
Migina catchment, land-use maps of the region (obtained in 1974 and 2010) and
GIS technology in order to analyse hydrological fluctuations in Migina
catchment and the expansion of Butare town. We observed that, between the two
hydrological years (1974 and 2010) water runoff increased by over 3.5% with
increasing flood risks. Furthermore, evapotranspiration and groundwater level
have decreased by about 3% and 0.5% leading to water scarcity. Research on
urban planning is necessary in order to improve on water resources management
and reduce the effects of urbanization on water resources such as in the Migina
catchment.