Quantitative analysis for the response of streamflow variation to driving factors in seven major basins across China

•Variations of streamflow were investigated in 9 catchments of RB7 across China.•Budyko hypothesis-based elasticity method was adopted to attribution analysis.•The smaller the runoff coefficient, the higher streamflow elasticities.•Compared to ET0, streamflow had a higher sensitivity to P and ω.•Human disturbances dominated streamflow changes in most catchments.