Biophysical Characteristics of Weyb Watershed, Bale Mountainous Area of the Southeastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Characterizing the biophysical features at a watershed level is a significant input for analyzing natural resources, for solving potential water resource management problems, for integrated water utilization assessment, for water allocation policy and management. The objective of this study was to assess the biophysical characteristics of Weyb watershed, which is recognized as a potential agricultural zone in southeastern part of Ethiopia, was considered as a case study. Relevant data were used and; ArcGIS, Microsoft Excel sheet and fundamental formulae were applied for the analysis. Accordingly, six current biophysical characteristics of Weyb watershed i.e., watershed area, land use land cover and soils, geomorphology, climate, agricultural practice and population have been analyzed and discussed briefly. The mean annual precipitation, actual evapotranspiration and mean temperature of the watershed are 1015 mm, 970.1 mm and 14 0C respectively. The study results show that the watershed is highly suitable for widespread agricultural production.