Impact of land use-land cover change on spatio-temporal trends in seasonal stream flow and suspended sediment load of Godavari basin from 1969 to 2019

Abstract

Assessment of long-term trends in stream flow and sediment load is important for adopting soil and water conservation measures and for predicting morphological changes in rivers. In the present study, detailed quantification of the nature of the trend in stream flow and suspended sediment load of Godavari basin, India is reported for the period of 1969 to 2019. The Mann–Kendall test is used to check the trend of stream flow and sediment load for different seasons, namely, spring, monsoon, post-monsoon and winter. The land use-land cover of the whole basin is prepared for four decades (1980–2020). The maximum and minimum water and sediment discharge is detected in monsoon and winter season, respectively. The stream flow is found to be significantly decreased during monsoon and post-monsoon season. The sediment load is significantly decreased for monsoon and spring season. The nature of trend in sediment load is attributed to the land use and land cover change of the basin. The significant reduction of suspended sediment load is mainly due to increase in water bodies and planned agricultural area. The findings of the research would help to manage water resources as well as sustainable development in the Godavari basin.