Investigation of climate-related influences of dams on the Artvin province of Türkiye using remote sensing data

Abstract Dams are engineering structures with a substantial influence on environmental systems, making it necessary to regularly monitor their effects on the climate of the region they are located. In the recent years, the advent of remote sensing technologies has enabled faster analysis of their effects on climate, even for large-extent areas. This study aims to investigate the climate-related influences of five dams that started to receive water in 2005, 2006, 2012, 2015, and 2022 in the Artvin province of Türkiye. To do so, time series analysis were conducted using multi-sensor satellite data for the years between 1995 and 2023. To better reveal the dam reservoir-induced climate change effects, the experiments were carried out for both the entire Artvin region and the 10-km buffer zone generated through the Coruh River on which the dams were built. The investigated climate parameters included land surface temperature (LST), precipitation (Pre), evapotranspiration (ET), relative humidity (RH), heat index (HI), wind speed (WS) and normalized vegetation difference index (NDVI). The trends of these parameters were investigated with Mann-Kendall, Sen’s Slope and Pettitt tests. Dam reservoirs were found to cause a warming effect from the buffer zone to the entire region, with no significant impact on Pre. The increase in temperature led to higher ET, especially in summer, while RH decreased and HI increased, indicating drier but hotter conditions during the time period examined. Most climate changes were found to occur when the dams started filling, and the reservoirs also contributed to enhanced vegetation in the region.