Relationship between sediment load and climate extremes in the major Chinese rivers

•Annual sediment load decreased in 77% river basins, but increased insignificant in western China.•Large reservoirs led to abrupt changes in mainstem stations, and large-scale conservation measures were responsible for shifts in tributaries.•Dominant climate variables affecting sediment load were Pwet, R12 and FSPTOT.•Sediment load changes were related to extreme rainfall in most rivers, and sensitive to temperature in the Northwest River Basin.