Climate Change and Irrigation Effects on Hydrology and Crop Yield in the Geba Watershed, Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Climate change and irrigation expansion are expected to substantially alter hydrological processes and agricultural productivity in the semi-arid watersheds of northern Ethiopia; however, their combined impacts remain insufficiently quantified. This study evaluated the effects of future climate change and irrigation management on watershed hydrology and crop yield in the Geba watershed using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool Plus (SWAT+). The model was calibrated and validated using observed daily streamflow data for the 2006–2020 period and driven by an ensemble of five bias-corrected CORDEX Africa regional climate models (RCMs) under the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios for the mid-century (2046–2060) and late-century (2086–2100) periods. Two agricultural management systems, namely rainfed and irrigation-rainfed integrated management, were evaluated. Model performance was satisfactory for streamflow simulation, with NSE values of 0.56 and 0.50 and KGE values of 0.64 and 0.54 during calibration and validation, respectively. The results indicate a progressive shift toward an evapotranspiration-dominated hydrological regime under future climate conditions. Under rainfed management, surface runoff and evapotranspiration increased by up to 60% and 30%, respectively, whereas groundwater recharge and lateral flow declined substantially. Irrigation scenarios intensified hydrological stress by reducing percolation, lateral flow, and water yield by up to 80%, 60%, and 55%, respectively. Statistical analyses revealed that climate forcing, management type, and their interactions significantly affected hydrological responses (p < 0.001), with emission pathways representing the dominant driver of variability. Crop responses varied considerably among management systems and crop types. Rainfed maize and wheat exhibited moderate yield increases under mid-century conditions, whereas teff consistently showed negative responses under most climate scenarios, indicating high vulnerability to warming and moisture stress. Under irrigation management, most crops experienced substantial yield reductions during late-century periods, although tomatoes showed localized gains under high-emission scenarios. Overall, the findings demonstrate that irrigation expansion alone may not provide sustainable adaptation under increasing climate stress because it intensifies evapotranspiration and reduces groundwater recharge. Integrated watershed management, climate-resilient crop selection, efficient irrigation practices, and soil-moisture conservation strategies are therefore essential for sustaining agricultural productivity and water availability in semi-arid Ethiopian watersheds.