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GIS Application in Evaluating Land Use-Land Cover Change and its Impact on Hydrological Regime in Langat River Basin, Malaysia
Noorazuan M. H
School of Social, Development & Environment, UKM Bangi
(now on study leave at School of Geography, University of Manchester, UK)
Ruslan Rainis
Geoinformatic Unit, Geography Section, School of Humanities
Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang.
E-mail: rruslan@usm.my
Hafizan Juahir and Sharifuddin, M.Zain
Department of Chemistry, Universiti Malaya, KL
Nazari Jaafar
Department of Geography, Universiti Malaya, KL
Abstract
GIS-based multi-temporal land use data provides a historical vehicle for determining and evaluating long term changes of land use due to urbanization. Along with the concurrent daily streamflow and precipitation records, the impact of land use change on the rainfall-runoff relationships has been explored in Langat River Basin. The basin is located at southern of the heart of Malaysia i.e. Kuala Lumpur, mentioned to be the most rapid semi-urban basin that experienced land use and land cover changes due to the onslaught of development. This article will highlights the evaluation of land use change result and how this outcome could affects the rainfall-runoff relationships. The study revealed that the landscape diversity of Langat significantly change after 1980s and as the result, the changes also altered the Langat’s streamflow response. Surface runoff has increased from 20.35% in 1983-88 to about 31.4% of the 1988-94 events. Evidence from this research suggests that urbanisation and changes in urban-related landuse-landcover (LULC) could affect the streamflow behaviour or characteristics. The application of GIS succeed to shows the landscape diversity and spatial analysis of Langat basin.
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