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.