 This study examined changes in land cover and rainfall in the upper Gilgel Abbey catchment in the upper Blue Nile basin, from 1973 to 2005. The results showed that 50.9% of the catchment area was covered by forest in 1973, but only 16.7% in 2001. This significant decrease in forest cover is primarily due to the expansion of agricultural land. Additionally, the study found that rainfall in the catchment had decreased significantly since 1973, with the exception of the wet season months of June, July and August. Furthermore, the study also found that the annual flow of the catchment had decreased by 12.1%, while low-flow and high-flow indices had decreased by 18.1% and 66.6%, respectively, between 1982 and 2000, and 2001 and 2005. These findings suggest that land cover change and reduced rainfall have led to a decrease in stream flow in the upper Gilgel Abbey catchment. This article was authored by THM Reanges, A.T. Highly, E. Cabetta, and others.