Page 109 - AJWEP-22-6

Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution. Vol. 22, No. 6 (2025), pp. 103-119.
doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025180139

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Impacts of land use and land cover changes on
groundwater recharge in the Dire Dawa watershed,

Ethiopia

Tariku Takele * , Adula Bayisa , and Muralitharan Jothimani 3
2
1
1 Department of Geology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Dilla University, P.O. Box 419, Dilla, Ethiopia
2 Groundwater resource study and Design, Ministry of Water and Energy, P.O.Box-5744, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
3 Department of Geology, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Arba Minch University, P.O. Box 21, Arba Minch,
Ethiopia
*Corresponding author: Tariku Takele (tariku.takele@du.edu.et)

Received: May 4, 2025; 1st revised: June 13, 2025; 2nd revised: June 22, 2025; Accepted: June 25, 2025;
Published online: August 22, 2025

Abstract: Land use and land cover (LULC) change is a growing global concern, particularly in water-scarce
regions, where it directly influences hydrological systems and groundwater sustainability. The Dire Dawa
watershed in eastern Ethiopia exemplifies this challenge. This study investigates the impacts of LULC changes on
groundwater recharge in the Dire Dawa watershed from 2000 to 2022. The LULC changes were analyzed using
ERDAS IMAGINE 2015 and geographic information systems, while the effects on groundwater recharge were
assessed using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The performance of the SWAT model was
evaluated using the sequential uncertainty fitting 2 technique, demonstrating good model performance, with R
2
values of 0.84 (calibration) and 0.79 (validation), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency values of 0.75 and 0.72, and percent
bias values of −0.1 and −11, respectively. The results indicated that, over the 22 years, agricultural land expanded
by 52.6%, while built-up areas increased by nearly 79.2%. In contrast, shrublands and forests declined by 23.7%
and 62.8%, respectively. These shifts resulted in a 24.5% reduction in groundwater recharge (−48.8 mm/y) and
a 19.9% increase in surface runoff (42.8 mm/y). These findings reflect broader regional patterns and emphasize
the importance of integrated land and water resource management to support ecological stability and community
resilience.

Keywords: Dire Dawa watershed; Land use and land cover change; Groundwater recharge; Soil and water
assessment tool; Image processing

1. Introduction source of water security. This resource is integral to
1
ensuring water security, particularly as urbanization,
Groundwater is one of the most essential yet often industrialization, and climate change continue to
overlooked natural resources that sustain life on Earth. It reshape our environment. As the pressures of rapid
2-5
serves as a critical backbone for ecosystems, agriculture, urbanization, industrial growth, and climate change
and the daily needs of billions of people worldwide. In intensify, safeguarding groundwater is no longer a local
regions where surface water is limited or unpredictable, challenge; it is a global imperative. Recognizing its value
groundwater becomes the primary, sometimes the only is not just about hydrology or resource management; it

Volume 22 Issue 6 (2025) 103 doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025180139