Hydrological Update of the Watershed Resources Management Model and Gis-based Application to the Humid Tropical Environment of South-east Nigeria

 – Hydrological Update of the Watershed Resources Management Model and Gis-based Application to the Humid Tropical Environment of South-east Nigeria – 

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ABSTRACT

Hydrological models are useful tools for prediction and understanding of hydrological phenomena which underpin watershed resources utilization. A watershed model simulates hydrological processes in a more holistic manner across the entire watershed area. Most watershed models are fairly complex; interactions among watershed hydrological components are essentially nonlinear and take place on a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. The Watershed Resources Management (WRM) model was developed in Canada in 1991 and published by Mbajiorgu (1995a & b).  

The objectives of this study were to: (i) update the hydrological component models of evapotranspiration and canopy interception, (ii) develop a MAPWINDOW GIS Input Application for WRM model input files preparation and data processing, (iii) employ the Shuffled Complex Evolution – University of Arizona (SCE-UA) optimization scheme for automatic calibration of WRM model, and (iv) validate the WRM model for application to the humid tropical environment of South-East Nigeria. 

INTRODUCTION  

The concept of watershed management originated from “Torrent Control” in European countries (Ted, 1999). The work was mainly for flood and debris control of mountain streams and their drainage basins. North America later adopted the concept but the emphasis gradually shifted to managing the upstream areas or watersheds for water benefits: water yields, water quality and flood control.  

The basic cause of watershed degradation is a combination of ignorance and economic backwardness of people, outdated social systems, overpopulation and overgrazing (Gurbachan, 2001). Carlos and Henry (2003) said that preventive practices such as avoiding slash-and-burn, fire prevention, zero tilling, mulching, contour farming, natural vegetative strips and selecting/combining annuals and perennials according to slope and land use potential should be promoted more widely in watershed management. 

Watersheds come in all shapes and sizes. They can cover areas of any size, because small watersheds are subsections of large watersheds that themselves can be nested within larger watersheds up to entire river basins (John, 2007). The characteristics of a watershed (topography, geology and land cover) play an important role in determining the quantity, quality and timing of stream flow at its outlet as well as of groundwater outflow (Dardashti, 2010).  

Models are of necessity, simplifications of reality. Managers, planners and policymakers require relatively simple predictive tools to aid decision-making, albeit about rather complex systems (Morgan, 2005). Researchers seek models that describe how the system functions in order to enhance understanding of the system and how it responds to change.  

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