Water Resources Management In Africa Research Articles

Water Resources Management in Africa

The author of this article touches upon the problem of the water scarcity on the African continent, which turns into a real environmental disaster. As the root causes of the current situation, not only the climatic and geographical features of the continent, but in particular the problems of managing the rationalization of water resources, lack of funding and the lack of a sanitary and epidemiological culture of the local population are noted. On the example of the urban environment and large energy infrastructure, the most striking catalysts for the current critical situation in Africa are demonstrated. Despite the identified significant lag behind the experience of advanced countries in the field of environmental protection, the author reveals the prospects for a long-term partnership with Russia, as the bearer of many years of experience in successfully ecologozation the consumption of water resources.

Data Construction and Spatiotemporal Trend Attribution of Runoff over the African Continent (1981–2016)

AbstractThe availability of streamflow records in Africa has been declining since the 1980s due to malfunctioning gauging stations and data collection failures. Africa also has insufficient hydrological information owing to the allocation of few resources to research efforts. Unreliable runoff datasets and large uncertainties in runoff trends due to climate change patterns and human activities are major challenges to water resource management in Africa. Therefore, this study aimed to improve runoff estimates and to assess runoff trend responses to climate change and human activities in Africa during 1981–2016. Using statistical methods, monthly gridded runoff datasets were generated for the period of 1981–2016 from a modified runoff curve number method calibrated with river discharge data from 535 gauging stations. According to the cross-validation results, the constructed runoff datasets comprised the Nash and Sutcliffe coefficients ranging from 0.5 to 1, coefficients of determination ranging from 0.5 to 1 and percent biases between ±25% for a large number of stations up to 73%, 80% and 91% of the 535 gauged catchments used as references. Analysis of runoff trend responses to climate change and human activities revealed that land cover change contributed more (72%) to the observed net runoff change (0.30%•a−1) than continental climate changes (28%). These contributions were results of cropland expansion rate of 0.46%•a−1 and a precipitation increase of 0.07%•a−1. The performance and simplicity of the statistical methods used in this study could be useful for improving runoff estimations in other regions with limited streamflow data data. The results of the current study could be important to natural resource managers and decision makers in terms of raising awareness of climate change adaptation strategies and agricultural land-use policies in Africa.

Operational river discharge forecasting in poorly gauged basins: the Kavango River basin case study

Abstract. Operational probabilistic forecasts of river discharge are essential for effective water resources management. Many studies have addressed this topic using different approaches ranging from purely statistical black-box approaches to physically based and distributed modeling schemes employing data assimilation techniques. However, few studies have attempted to develop operational probabilistic forecasting approaches for large and poorly gauged river basins. The objective of this study is to develop open-source software tools to support hydrologic forecasting and integrated water resources management in Africa. We present an operational probabilistic forecasting approach which uses public-domain climate forcing data and a hydrologic–hydrodynamic model which is entirely based on open-source software. Data assimilation techniques are used to inform the forecasts with the latest available observations. Forecasts are produced in real time for lead times of 0–7 days. The operational probabilistic forecasts are evaluated using a selection of performance statistics and indicators and the performance is compared to persistence and climatology benchmarks. The forecasting system delivers useful forecasts for the Kavango River, which are reliable and sharp. Results indicate that the value of the forecasts is greatest for intermediate lead times between 4 and 7 days.

An Economic Assessment of the Impact of ICT on Performance Indicators of Water Resource Management in Africa: A Suggested Strategy for avoiding the eminent International Water Wars

Using data from 16 West African countries, this paper examines the links between Per Capita Income, Trade and Financial indicators, Education and Freedom indicators. Others are Internet users, Broadband and Mobile Cell phone Subscribers. Mean while Fresh Water Supply (which is assumed as a bench mark public sector-led water resource management performance indicators) and Access to Safe Drinking Water (a bench mark private sector-led water resource management performance indicators) represents indicators of water resources management. The results show that income, ICT and government trade policies influence the efficient management of cross-country water resource. Freedom indicators strongly affect water resource management performance indicators (WRMPI). Moreso, Internet Users, Broadband Subscribers, and Mobile cell phones Subscribers have a positive association with WRMPI. Contrary to wide spread expectations, education does not influence WRMPI. Key words : ICT, Water economics, water Resource Management, Nigeria, International Water Wars

Enabling the Use of Earth Observation Data for Integrated Water Resource Management in Africa with the Water Observation and Information System

The Water Observation and Information System (WOIS) is an open source software tool for monitoring, assessing and inventorying water resources in a cost-effective manner using Earth Observation (EO) data. The WOIS has been developed by, among others, the authors of this paper under the TIGER-NET project, which is a major component of the TIGER initiative of the European Space Agency (ESA) and whose main goal is to support the African Earth Observation Capacity for Water Resource Monitoring. TIGER-NET aims to support the satellite-based assessment and monitoring of water resources from watershed to cross-border basin levels through the provision of a free and powerful software package, with associated capacity building, to African authorities. More than 28 EO data processing solutions for water resource management tasks have been developed, in correspondence with the requirements of the participating key African water authorities, and demonstrated with dedicated case studies utilizing the software in operational scenarios. They cover a wide range of themes and information products, including basin-wide characterization of land and water resources, lake water quality monitoring, hydrological modeling and flood forecasting and mapping. For each monitoring task, step-by-step workflows were developed, which can either be adjusted by the user or largely automatized to feed into existing data streams and reporting schemes. The WOIS enables African water authorities to fully exploit the increasing EO capacity offered by current and upcoming generations of satellites, including the Sentinel missions.

Pathways for building capacity and ensuring effective transboundary water resources management in Africa: Revisiting the key issues, opportunities and challenges

The performance of most organizations and institutions set up to facilitate transboundary water resources management in Africa remains unsatisfactory and new frameworks are required to address this performance gap. Using the Nile and Senegal River Basins as case studies, this paper applies qualitative research methods to explore the transboundary river basin management terrain in Africa with a view to identifying and articulating some of the major issues, challenges and opportunities faced in building the capacity of the main actors and institutions in the sector. The paper establishes that the creation of basin management institutions as the assumed panacea to challenges evident in this sector has not delivered the desired results. Some of the institutions established for this purpose in Africa have remained functionally weak and ineffective. Thus, demand for capacity-building interventions in this landscape remains high. The paper concludes that comprehensive capacity-building interventions should seek to improve the competencies and skills of key actors in implementing the broad range of activities constituting integrated water resources management in transboundary basins. In-depth analysis of the fundamental capacity constraints and challenges that key players face in relation to key drivers for cooperation is the absolutely necessary ingredient.

Water management issues and problems in Africa.

Abstract An enquiry into pressing issues in contemporary water resource management in Africa reveals an extensive, well-researched and heavily debated literature. This paper strives to reveal this through a brief discussion of four prominent issues or 'problems' in contemporary water resource management across Africa; integrated water resource management involving decisions about allocation; health, domestic water and sanitation; agricultural water management; and climate change. The first three represent policy arenas that are complementary to each other, but to some extent are also competing in terms of donor focus. The fourth is an emerging contextual issue that is helping to refocus and renew efforts in water management. The most significant dimension of these issues of water resource management in Africa today may be the degree of interdependence that exists between the four issues and therefore in the difficulties and hard choices associated with deciding which to prioritize. In addition, as with many contemporary issues spanning environment, culture and geography, water resource problems in Africa are characterized by a complex overlap between environmental, socio-economic, political, financial and technical viewpoints and concerns.