Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of River Discharge and Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) on Water Quality Dynamics in Migina Catchment, Rwanda

  • Published:
Environmental Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Agricultural intensification may accelerate the loss of wetlands, increasing the concentrations of nutrients and sediments in downstream water bodies. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of land use and land cover and river discharge on water quality in the Migina catchment, southern Rwanda. Rainfall, discharge and water quality (total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total suspended solids, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, and temperature) were measured in different periods from May 2009 to June 2013. In 2011, measurements were done at the outlets of 3 sub-catchments (Munyazi, Mukura and Akagera). Between May 2012 and May 2013 the measurements were done in 16 reaches of Munyazi dominated by rice, vegetables, grass/forest or ponds/reservoirs. Water quality was also measured during two rainfall events. Results showed seasonal trends in water quality associated with high water flows and farming activities. Across all sites, the total suspended solids related positively to discharge, increasing 2–8 times during high flow periods. Conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH decreased with increasing discharge, while total nitrogen and total phosphorus did not show a clear pattern. The total suspended solids concentrations were consistently higher downstream of reaches dominated by rice and vegetable farming. For total nitrogen and total phosphorus results were mixed, but suggesting higher concentration of total nitrogen and total phosphorus during the dry and early rainy (and farming) season, and then wash out during the rainy season, with subsequent dilution at the end of the rains. Rice and vegetable farming generate the transport of sediment as opposed to ponds/reservoir and grass/forest.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • APHA (2005) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 21st edn. American Public Health Association, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Bae HK (2013) Changes of river’s water quality responded to rainfall events. Environ Ecol Res 1:21–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Bagalwa M (2006) The impact of land use on water quality of the Lwiro River, democratic Republic of Congo, Central Africa. Afr J Aquat Sci 31:137–143

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bartley R, Speirs W (2010) Review and summary of constituent concentration data from Australia for use in catchment water quality models. Technical Report, eWater Cooperative Research Centre, Bruce, Australia

  • Bolstad PV, Swank WT (1997) Cumulative impacts of landuse on water quality in a southern Appalachian watershed. J Am Water Resour Assoc 33:519–533

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carroll KP, Rose S, Peters NE (2007) Concentration/discharge hysteresis analysis of storm events at the Panola mountain research watershed, Georgia, USA. Proceedings of the Georgia Water Resources Conference, March 27-29, 2007. University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

  • Coulliette AD, Noble RT (2008) Estuarine water quality and rainfall. J Water Health 6:473–482

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davidson NC (2014) How much wetland the world has lost? Long-term and recent trends in global wetland area. Mar Freshwater Res. 65:934–941

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Villiers S, Thiart C (2007) The nutrient status of South African rivers: concentrations, trends and fluxes from the 1970s to 2005. S Afr J Sci 103:343–349

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunne T (1979) Sediment yield and land use in tropical catchments. J Hydrol 42:281–300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2011a) Climate change, water and food security. FAO Water Reports 36. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy

  • FAO (2011b) The state of the world’s land and water resources for food and agriculture (SOLAW) – managing systems at risk. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome and Earthscan, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Giertz S, Junge B, Diekkrüger B (2005) Assessing the effects of land use change on soil physical properties and hydrological processes in the sub-humid tropical environment of West Africa. Phys Chem Earth 30:485–496

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Giga JV, Uchrin CG (1990) Laboratory and in situ sediment oxygen demand determinations for a Passaic river (NJ) case study: Part 1. J Environ Sci Health 25:833–845

    Google Scholar 

  • Haygarth PM, Jarvis SC (1999) Transfer of phosphorus from agricultural soils. Adv Agron 66:196–249

    Google Scholar 

  • Hecky RE, Harvey A, Bootsma HA, Kingdon ML (2003) Impact of land use on sediment and nutrient yields to Lake Malawi/Nyasa (Africa). J Great Lakes Res 29:139–158

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hilderbrand RH, Watts AC, Randle AM (2005) The myths of restoration ecology. Ecol Soc 10:19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch RM (2012) Flux of nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment from the Susquehanna River basin to the Chesapeake Bay during Tropical Storm Lee, September 2011, as an indicator of the effects of reservoir sedimentation on water quality. USGS Scientific Investigations Report, p. 17. United States Geological Survey, Reston VA, USA

  • Ijaz A, Khan F, Bhatti AU (2007) Soil and nutrient losses by water erosion under monocropping and legume inter-cropping on slopping land. Pakistan J Agri Res 20:161–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Jason TM, Vellidis G, Lowrance R, Pringle CM (2009) High sediment oxygen demand within an instream swamp in southern Georgia: implications for low dissolved oxygen levels in coastal blackwater streams. J Am Water Resour Assoc 45:1493–1507

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jennings E, Mills P, Jordan P, Jensen JP, Søndergaard M, Barr A, Glasgow G, Irvine K (2003) Eutrophication from agricultural sources, seasonal patterns and effects of phosphorus. Environmental Protection Agency, Johnstown Castle, Co., Wexford, Ireland

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston CA (1991) Sediment and nutrient retention by freshwater wetlands: effects on surface water quality. Crit Rev Env Contr 21:491–565

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kingdon MJ, Bootsma HA, Mwita J, Mwichande B, Hecky RE (1999) Discharge and water quality. In: Bootsma HA, Hecky RE (Eds.) Water quality report, Lake Malawi/Nyasa Biodiversity Conservation Project. Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Global Environmental Facility (GEF), Senga Bay, Malawi, p 29–69. Chapter 2

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotir JH (2011) Climate change and variability in sub-Saharan Africa: a review of current and future trends and impacts on agriculture and food security. Environ Dev Sustain 13:587–605

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCartney M, Rebelo L-M, Senaratna Sellamuttu S, de Silva S (2010) Wetlands, agriculture and poverty reduction. IWMI Research Report 137. International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka

  • Milliman JD, Syvitski JPM (1992) Geomorphic/tectonic control of sediment discharge to the ocean: the importance of small mountainous rivers. J Geol 100:525–544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MINAGRI (2009) Strategic Plan for the Transformation of Agriculture in Rwanda – Phase II (PSTA II). Final report. Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Republic of Rwanda, p. 114. http://www.https://www.gafspfund.org/. Accessed 1 Oct 2015

  • MINAGRI (2010) Rwanda Irrigation Master Plan. Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Republic of Rwanda, p. 229. http://www. https://www.gafspfund.org/2015/. Accessed 1 Oct 2015

  • MINAGRI (2013) Strategic Plan for the Transformation of Agriculture in Rwanda Phase III (PSTA III), Final report. Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Republic of Rwanda, Kigali

  • MINAGRI (2014) National Fertilizer Policy. Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Republic of Rwanda, Kigali. http://www.minagri.gov.rw/. Accessed 11 Oct 2015

  • Ministère des Ressources Naturelles et Service Geologique (1981) Carte lithologique du Rwanda. Institut Géographique National de Belgique, Brussels

    Google Scholar 

  • MINITERE (2004) Sectorial Policy on Water and Sanitation. Ministry of Lands, Environment and Forests, Water and Natural Resources, Republic of Rwanda, Kigali

    Google Scholar 

  • Mkanda FX (2002) Contribution by farmer’s survival strategies to soil erosion strategies in the Linthipe River catchment: implications for biodiversity conservation in Lake Malawi/Nyasa. Biodivers Conserv 11:1327–1359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munyaneza O (2014) Space-time variation of hydrological processes and water resources in Rwanda - focus on the Migina catchment. PhD-thesis, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education, Delft, The Netherlands.

  • Munyaneza O, Wenninger J, Uhlenbrook S (2012) Identification of runoff generation processes using hydrometric and tracer methods in a meso-scale catchment in Rwanda. Hydrol Earth Syst Sc 16:1991–2004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nhapi I, Wali UG, Uwonkunda BK, Nsengimana H, Banadda N, Kimwaga R (2011) Assessment of water pollution levels in the Nyabugogo Catchment, Rwanda. Open Environ Eng J 4:40–53

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • NISR (2012) EICV 3 thematic report – Agriculture 2010/2011. National Institute of Statistics Rwanda, Kigali

  • Rãdoane M, Rãdoane N (2005) Dams, sediment sources and reservoir silting in Romania. Geomorphology 71:112–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy KR, Delaune RD (2008) Biogeochemistry of wetlands: science and applications. CRC Press/Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • RNRA (2012) Water quality monitoring in Rwanda. Report III: October–November 2012. Rwanda Natural Resources Authority, Kigali, Rwanda. http://rnra.rw/fileadmin/fileadmin/user_upload/ Water_Quality_monitoring. Accessed 3 Mar 2016

  • Römkens MJ, Helming K, Prasad SN (2002) Soil erosion under different rainfall intensities, surface roughness, and soil water regimes. Catena 46:103–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ruttner-Kolisko A (1977) Comparison of various sampling techniques, and results of repeated sampling of planktonic rotifers. Arch Hydrobiol Beih Ergebn Limnol 8:13–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Scanlon BR, Jolly I, Sophocleous M, Zhang L (2007) Global impacts of conversions from natural to agricultural ecosystems on water resources: quantity versus quality. Water Resour Res 43:W03437. doi:10.1029/2006WR005486

    Google Scholar 

  • Schuyt KD (2005) Economic consequences of wetland degradation for local populations in Africa. Ecol Econ 53:177–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UN WWAP (2009) The World Water Development Report 3: Water in a Changing World. United Nations World Water Assessment Programme, Paris, France

  • Usanzineza D, Nhapi I, Wali UG, Kashaigili JJ, Banadda N (2011) Nutrients inflow and levels in lakes: a case study of Lake Muhazi, Rwanda. Int J Ecol Dev 19:53–62

    Google Scholar 

  • USEPA (2005) Protecting water quality from agricultural runoff. USEPA Publication no. EPA 841-F-05-001. US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC

  • Van den Berg, H.W., Bolt, R.H. (2010) Catchment analysis in the Migina marshlands, southern Rwanda. MSc-thesis, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

  • Verhoeven JTA, Arheimer B, Yin C, Hefting MM (2006) Regional and global concerns over wetlands and water quality. Trends Ecol Evol 21:96–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weissteiner CJ, Bouraoui F, Aloe A (2013) Reduction of nitrogen and phosphorus loads to European rivers by riparian buffer zones. Knowl Managt Aquat Ecosyst 408:15

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitehead PG, Wilby RL, Battarbee RW, Kernan M, Wade AJ (2009) A review of the potential impacts of climate change on surface water quality. Hydrolog Sci J 54:101–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood A, Dixon A, McCartney M (2013) Wetland management and sustainable livelihoods in Africa. Routledge / Taylor & Francis Group, London and New York

    Google Scholar 

  • World Bank (2015) World Bank open data. http://data.worldbank.org/. Accessed 25 Mar 2015

  • Zedler JB (2003) Wetlands at your service: reducing impacts of agriculture at the watershed scale. Front Ecol Environ 1:65–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was conducted as part of a cooperation between the University of Rwanda (former National University of Rwanda) and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, The Netherlands. Financial support was provided by NUFFIC, The Netherlands through the NICHE programme and the Netherlands Fellowship Programme.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Water Science and Engineering, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, P.O. Box 3015, Delft, DA, 2601, The Netherlands

    Abias Uwimana, Anne van Dam, Gretchen Gettel & Kenneth Irvine

  2. University of Rwanda, College of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3900, Kigali, Rwanda

    Abias Uwimana & Bonfils Bigirimana

  3. Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, Wageningen, AA, 6700, The Netherlands

    Abias Uwimana & Kenneth Irvine

Authors
  1. Abias Uwimana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Anne van Dam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gretchen Gettel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Bonfils Bigirimana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Kenneth Irvine
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abias Uwimana.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Uwimana, A., van Dam, A., Gettel, G. et al. Effects of River Discharge and Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) on Water Quality Dynamics in Migina Catchment, Rwanda. Environmental Management 60, 496–512 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-017-0891-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-017-0891-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation