Spatiotemporal Variability of Rainfall‐Streamflow Dynamics in Mountainous Tropical Environments: Insights From Agricultural Catchments of Northwest Rwanda

Nahayo, Deogratias

doi:10.1002/hyp.70360

Article (Scientific journals)

Spatiotemporal Variability of Rainfall‐Streamflow Dynamics in Mountainous Tropical Environments: Insights From Agricultural Catchments of Northwest Rwanda

Nahayo, Deogratias

2026 • In Hydrological Processes, 40 (1), p. 28

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

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https://hdl.handle.net/2268/340341

DOI
10.1002/hyp.70360

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Keywords :

flood prediction, baseflow separation, runoff coefficient, tropical mountainous catchments, stage-discharge rating curves

Abstract :

[en] Accurate rainfall–streamflow observations are essential for understanding runoff generation and flood hazards in mountainous regions. Yet such information remains scarce in many areas, especially for small and medium-sized catchments in tropical environments of developing countries. This study develops high-resolution rainfall-streamflow datasets and evaluates the spatiotemporal variability of rainfall-runoff dynamics to assess the applicability of the rational method, from its empirical formulation to its physical interpretation, for flood-hazard management in the Nyamutera (44 km²) and Gaseke (109 km²) catchments of the mountainous Mukungwa watershed in northwestern Rwanda. To address data scarcity, cost-effective stream monitoring stations were installed to record flow depths, complemented by three automatic rain gauges and two weather stations that record rainfall and other weather parameters at 15-minute intervals. Periodic discharge measurements were conducted to establish stage-discharge rating curves, which were used to derive continuous streamflow records from April 2022 to May 2023. Analysis of 40 storm-event responses revealed marked contrasts between the catchments: Nyamutera produced higher runoff coefficients (0.05–0.40; mean = 0.20; annual mean = 0.18) than Gaseke (0.02–0.35; mean = 0.10; annual mean = 0.11), reflecting its steeper slopes and lower storage capacity. Design runoff coefficients for the 100-year event were 0.55 and 0.51, and recorded peak discharges reached 131 and 122 m³/s, respectively. These values reflect Nyamutera’s faster, more concentrated flow pathways, in contrast to the more attenuated response observed in Gaseke. The results highlight differences in runoff behavior between the two catchments, likely reflecting their contrasting topography, soil properties, and storage capacity. Although the monitoring network captured most dynamics, uncertainties remain in monitoring very low flows, extreme peaks, and high rainfall variability. This study suggests additional monitoring techniques that could help capture these conditions. The developed approach provides a practical, transferable framework for rainfall-streamflow characterization in similarly data-limited mountainous environments.

Research Center/Unit :

SPHERES - ULiège

Disciplines :

Engineering, computing & technology: Multidisciplinary, general & others

Author, co-author :

Nahayo, Deogratias ^✱; Université de Liège - ULiège > Sphères

^✱ These authors have contributed equally to this work.

Language :

English

Title :

Spatiotemporal Variability of Rainfall‐Streamflow Dynamics in Mountainous Tropical Environments: Insights From Agricultural Catchments of Northwest Rwanda

Alternative titles :

[fr] Variabilité spatio‑temporelle des relations pluie–débit en milieu tropical montagneux : le cas des bassins versants agricoles du nord‑ouest du Rwanda

Original title :

[en] Spatiotemporal Variability of Rainfall‐Streamflow Dynamics in Mountainous Tropical Environments: Insights From Agricultural Catchments of Northwest Rwanda

Publication date :

14 January 2026

Journal title :

Hydrological Processes

ISSN :

0885-6087

eISSN :

1099-1085

Publisher :

John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, United States - New Jersey

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Development Goals :

13. Climate action

Additional URL :

https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70360

Name of the research project :

Landslides and Flood Hazards and Vulnerability in Rwanda: Towards Applicable Land Management and Disaster Reduction (LAFHAZAF)

Available on ORBi :

since 26 January 2026

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