Abstract
In this paper, we present the applications of spatial technologies-Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing-in the international monitoring of river basins particularly analyzing the ecological, hydrological, and socio-economic issues along the Senegal River. The literature on multinational water crisis has for decades focused on mediation aspects of trans-boundary watershed management resulting in limited emphasis placed on the application of advances in geo-spatial information technologies in multinational watershed conservation in the arid areas of the West African sub-region within the Senegal River Basin for decision-making and monitoring. While the basin offers life support in a complex ecosystem that stretches across different nations in a mostly desert region characterized by water scarcity and subsistence economies, there exists recurrent environmental stress induced by both socio-economic and physical factors. Part of the problems consists of flooding, drought and limited access to sufficient quantities of water. These remain particularly sensitive issues that are crucial for the health of a rapidly growing population and the economy. The problems are further compounded due to the threats of climate change and the resultant degradation of almost the region's entire natural resources base. While the pace at which the institutional framework for managing the waters offers opportunities for hydro electricity and irrigated agriculture through the proliferation of dams, it has raised other serious concerns in the region. Even where data exists for confronting these issues, some of them are incompatible and dispersed among different agencies. This not only widens the geo-spatial data gaps, but it hinders the ability to monitor water problems along the basin. This study will fill that gap in research through mix scale methods built on descriptive statistics, GIS and remote sensing techniques by generating spatially referenced data to supplement the existing ones for the management of the Senegal River Basin. The results show the incidence of change predicated on pressures from demography, natural forces and the proliferation of river basin development which resulted in more irrigated areas to meet the needs of the inhabitants of the basin. With the substantial increase in bare surface areas, the basin faces growing exposure to the threats of desertification.
Highlights
Over the last several years, the Senegal River watershed in a Sahel ecozone continues to experience recurrent cases of drought as a result of climatic variability and a host of other factors in the face of severe poverty and misery [1,2].This comes at a time when the need for regular geospatial assessments of environmental impacts of the harsh climatic conditions of the basin along with other problems have been overshadowed by emphasis on food security and conflict resolution in trans-boundary watershed management
This paper has presented the applications of GIS and remote sensing tools in the analysis of multinational management of watershed in the West Africa region with a focus on the assessment of multinational management of shared waters of the Senegal River basin
The paper outlined an overview of the issues in the literature pertaining to the basin, the essence of Geospatial Information System, the current experiences and the state of the environment along shared waters at the multinational level. This was followed with an outline of the situation in the Senegal River watershed of West Africa with some emphasis on climatic variability along the Senegal River Basin, the essence of GIS and remote sensing based approach
Summary
Over the last several years, the Senegal River watershed in a Sahel ecozone continues to experience recurrent cases of drought as a result of climatic variability and a host of other factors in the face of severe poverty. Let it not be forgotten that the literature on multinational water crisis has for decades focused on the politics and mediation aspects of transboundary watershed management [6] This has resulted in limited emphasis on the applications of geo-spatial information technologies in multinational watershed conservation in the arid areas of West African sub-region within the Senegal River Basin for decision-making and monitoring. With the mandate of OMVS compounded by numerous challenges [26], the growing threats posed by changing demographics and widespread poverty[12,13] to the basin’s surrounding hydrology and natural environment [16] makes the application of geospatial information systems in the management of the basin more urgent than ever Under this setting, GIS and remote sensing techniques are indispensable in the development of resource management tools for effective policy making and monitoring of the river basin. After agriculture, fishing is the second largest economic activity of the basin
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
