Combined Impact of Land Use (Population, Forestry and Agriculture) on Several Rivers Water Quality

Abstract The aim of this study is establishing correlation functions and examine the influence of land-use patterns encompassing population density, forestry, and agriculture in seven catchment areas located in the southwest of Germany from 2021 to 2023. Using GIS, an area with radius of 2 km for each catchment was selected, and various physiochemical parameters upstream were analysed to ascertain the water quality impacted by anthropogenic activities in the associated region. Employing in-situ methods and subsequent lab testing, the study uses multiple regression analysis to correlate land use changes with water quality. The findings established significant negative correlation between forest and water quality parameters for EC (P = 0.004) and hardness (P = 0.026) which were localized, suggesting a nuanced interaction between land use practices and aquatic ecosystems. This emphasises complex relation between water quality indices and the land use pattern, pointing towards importance of integrated approach to land development and water management.