Estimation of change in terrestrial water storage for Abbay River Basin, Ethiopia

Abstract Access to freshwater resources has become more limited. Correspondingly, water monitoring methods in sensitive or critical areas interims of terrestrial water storage are becoming increasingly important. The monitoring of the water storage in this area, using appropriate methods and datasets, is highly effective in preventing possible future water crises. This paper aims to estimate terrestrial water storage of the Abbay River Basin with available data and tools where hydro climatological studies are scarce due to limited observation. The data obtained from Global Land Assimilation System (GLDAS), gravity recovery and climate experiment (GRACE), and TerraClimate were used for the analysis of terrestrial water storage in the river basin. The result shows that there was a varying trend of terrestrial water storage for the study time. We have observed water shortages during the dry season and surplus water during the wet season. The monitoring of changes in terrestrial water storage is crucial for optimal water resource utilization and our results confirm the major role of such monitoring in decision-making processes and management.