5. CONCLUSIONS
This study has established a distributed GBHM based on years of
hydrological and meteorological data, as well as underlying surface data
of the Qinhe River Basin. It aimed to explore the response
characteristics of hydrological and meteorological factors in the basin
under the influence of reservoir construction over the last 30 years of
the 20th century. Additionally, based on abundant flood and sediment
discharge data, the prevention of water-related disasters and soil
erosion in the basin because of reservoir construction and other soil
and water conservation measures was explored.
The Qinhe River Basin possesses a unique climate and geographical
environment, and the water and soil conservation measures employed in
the basin, mainly based on reservoir construction, have influenced the
hydrological cycle system of the basin. The simulation results indicate
that the runoff, soil water, and evaporation of the sub-basin where the
reservoir is located exceed the average value of the basin. Furthermore,
the NDVI growth of the sub-basin where the reservoir is situated is also
higher than the average of the basin. Under the influence of the
reservoir, flood and sediment discharge in the basin have been
effectively controlled. In the context of climate change and rapid
urbanization, the ecological environment of the basin is undergoing a
positive transformation. These findings enhance our understanding of the
changes in the water cycle and hydrological response characteristics of
the basin that are linked to the construction of reservoirs and other
soil and water conservation measures. They can be used as a reference
for studying other basins in the Loess Plateau. To achieve sustainable
development, water resource planning and basin management measures that
minimize the contribution of human activities to the deterioration of
the ecological environment in the Loess Plateau must be formulated.
Considering the increasing human activity and rapid urbanization in the
Qinhe River Basin, the evolutionary mechanism of the hydrological
process will become more complicated, and the uncertainty of
hydrological simulations will increase. Therefore, it is necessary to
study the impact mechanism of typical human activities on basin
hydrological factors and optimize the model’s structure accordingly to
improve the simulation accuracy of the model in subsequent research.