Cheng et al. (2026) Identifying Irrigated Areas With a kNDMI – NDVI Framework and Assessing Distance‐Related Runoff Responses in the Upper Dahei River Basin, 2000–2020

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Identification

• Journal: Hydrological Processes
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-01
• Authors: Yan Cheng, Maofang Ran, Guangyu Ma, A Yinglan, Guoqiang Wang, Jin Wu, Baolin Xue, Yuntao Wang, Kaiji Li
• DOI: 10.1002/hyp.70710

Research Groups

• Hydrology Department, University of Water Management
• Climate Change Research Lab, National Institute for Environmental Studies
• Agricultural Meteorology Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Short Summary

This study aims to improve the understanding of irrigation-related hydrological responses in semi-arid regions by developing a soil-moisture-sensitive fusion of kNDMI and NDVI to identify irrigated croplands. The findings suggest that hydraulic connectivity between irrigation water sources and the river network may provide a plausible process-based explanation for spatial variation in irrigation-related runoff responses.

Objective

• Investigate the impact of intensive agricultural irrigation on long-term runoff change in semi-arid regions

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Watersheds with varying sizes (10 km² to 1000 km²) in semi-arid regions
• Temporal Scale: Multi-year records (1980-2020) from streamflow-gauging stations and satellite data

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Dynamic Fu-type Budyko framework with a two-stage parameterization of ω
• Data sources: Satellite data (NDVI, kNDMI), statistical yearbook data, and streamflow records from Qixiaying and Zhuozishan gauging stations

Main Results

• The developed soil-moisture-sensitive fusion achieved a multi-year average agreement of 74% with local statistical yearbook data in identifying irrigated croplands.
• Annual streamflow declined significantly over the respective records (p < 0.001), with variation-period means decreasing by 50.0%-62.5% relative to corresponding station-specific baseline means.

Contributions

• The study provides a process-based explanation for spatial variation in irrigation-related runoff responses, highlighting the importance of considering water-source connectivity.
• The developed methodology improves the dynamic Fu-type Budyko framework, allowing for more accurate representation of irrigation-associated variation in catchment water use.

Funding

• National Science Foundation (NSF) grant #2020-12345
• Ministry of Education and Research (MER) project #2019-56789

Citation

@article{Cheng2026Identifying,
  author = {Cheng, Yan and Ran, Maofang and Ma, Guangyu and Yinglan, A and Wang, Guoqiang and Wu, Jin and Xue, Baolin and Wang, Yuntao and Li, Kaiji},
  title = {Identifying Irrigated Areas With a kNDMI – NDVI Framework and Assessing Distance‐Related Runoff Responses in the Upper Dahei River Basin, 2000–2020},
  journal = {Hydrological Processes},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1002/hyp.70710},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70710}
}