Contribution of climate change and human activities to streamflow and lake water level variations at regional scales

ABSTRACT Global warming has been intensifying the water cycle, thereby altering regional climate systems and hydrological processes. This is particularly the case for the Poyang Lake Basin (PLB) in monsoon-controlled southeast China, where climate changes and human activities are evident. Our study aims to quantify the contributions of climate change and human activities to the spatiotemporal variations of the relevant variables across meteorological and hydrological compartments on the basin scale. This study applies the moving t-test, Mann–Kendall test, and linear regression models to quantify the impacts of climate change and human activities on changes in streamflow and lake level from 1960 to 2019. Results show that precipitation, streamflow, and air temperature have increased, but Poyang Lake level has declined. Change points in streamflow trends are identified in 1991 and 2002 and in lake level in 2003. Contribution analysis indicates that climate change is the primary driver of increased streamflow. However, after 2002, the contribution of climate change declined, while that of human activities increased. The abrupt decline in lake level is mainly attributed to anthropogenic interventions. These findings identify the dominant factors of hydrological change and provide guidance for ensuring water security and sustainable water resource management in the basin.