2nd International Conference on Managing Rivers in the 21st Century: Solutions Towards Sustainable River Basins Deforestation Effect to the Runoff Hydrograph at Sungai Padas Catchment JOSEPH DINOR, Master Student (M.Sc.), River Engineering and Urban Drainage Research Centre (REDAC), Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia. NOR AZAZI ZAKARIA, Professor & Director of REDAC, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang Malaysia.Email:
[email protected] ROZI ABDULLAH, Assoc. Prof. & Lecturer, School of Civil Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang, Malaysia. Email:
[email protected] AMINUDDIN AB GHANI, Assoc. Prof. & Deputy Director, REDAC Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang Malaysia. Email:
[email protected] Keywords: Deforestation, HEC-HMS, SCS-CN, Hydrograph estimation, Design rainfall ABSTRACT Deforestation activities have been widely known as one of the devastating factors to the river system and ecological system in a catchment. Severe destructions of forest always brings about a number of interferences to the natural catchment such as increase the surface runoff in the stream and rivers, soil erosions, sedimentation in the rivers or streams, degradation of water quality, elimination of the flora and fauna, and destruction of the wild life habitat in the jungle. The present study is intending to develop a hydrologic model for the Sungai Padas catchment and to investigate the effect of land cover changes to the runoff hydrograph from the catchment using HEC-HMS (Hydrologic Engineering Center-Hydrologic Modeling System), which has been established by USACE (United State of America Corps of Engineers). Sungai Padas catchment experienced several deforestation activities particularly of commercial loggings and agriculture at some areas such as at the upstream of Tambunan catchment, Sook catchment, and Sipitang catchment.