Work

South African soil, land cover and weather generator file databases for SWAT applications

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: South Africa. The focus of the study is to develop soil, land cover and weather generator file datasets for Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) applications in South Africa. The first objective was to format national datasets for use as baseline to run the SWAT model in South Africa. The second objective was to evaluate the performance of the baseline input data by applying the national datasets in four (previously simulated) research catchments. The input datasets comprise of geo-spatial datasets at a national scale to run ArcSWAT or QSWAT (graphical user interface for SWAT in ArcGIS and SWAT+ in QGIS, respectively) in South Africa including: SWAT catchment outline data (tertiary and quaternary); Land cover maps at 20–30 m resolution including South African National Land Cover (2014, 2018, 2020) linked to SWAT land cover codes; A soil map with SWAT attribute data derived from pedotransfer functions of the Land Type Database of South Africa useable at a scale of 1:250,000; Weather statistics (WGN) files for 12 weather stations obtained from the Agricultural Research Council in South Africa. The national baseline data is an important step forward in hydrological modelling by assisting modellers to set-up and run the SWAT model in South Africa. Input databases for SWAT applications in South Africa • This study provides databases for SWAT applications in South Africa including: • SWAT catchment outline data (tertiary and quaternary) • Land cover maps (2014; 2018; 2020) (20–30 m) linked to SWAT land cover codes • A soil map with SWAT attribute data useable at a scale of 1:250,000 • Weather statistics (WGN) files for 12 weather stations

Source: Journal of Hydrology Regional Studies

DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102387

Authors: Jay le Roux, Ndifelani Mararakanye, Michael van der Laan, Leushantha Mudaly, Harold Louw Weepener, Johan van Tol

Institutions: University of the Free State, University of Pretoria, Institute for Soil, Climate and Water, Agricultural Research Council of South Africa

Language: English

Topic: Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies

Subfield: Water Science and Technology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Clean water and sanitation, Climate action, Life on land

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,600