Co-HYDIM-SA

My motivation in this project is to adapt existing meteorological models to forecast extreme precipitation more accurately and provide early warnings for dam operators and water managers in the region.

Prof. Dr. Gizaw Mengistu Tsidu

My motivation is short-cutting the valorisation of recent improvements of rainfall forecasts out to a few months for improving water resource management in southern Africa through working directly with water commissions and dam managers.

Prof. Dr. Andreas H. Fink

Abstract

Co-HYDIM-SA responds to the explicit need for hydrometeorological early warning and information systems (EWIS) to optimise water resources management and thereby enhance water security in Southern Africa. This will be achieved through a transdisciplinary approach by combining scientific, academic and operational expertise in the fields of meteorology, hydrology, and risk assessment with the expertise of river basin authorities, water resource and dam managers. The innovative aspects are (a) to utilise the novel capabilities of sub-seasonal to seasonal hydrometeorological forecasting, (b) to improve the capability and details of seasonal forecasting, (c) to link hazard monitoring and forecasting to actual risk reduction, and (d) to provide a proof of concept for improved monitoring and early warning of hydro-climatic components in two transboundary catchments, the Cuvelai-Cunene and the Upper Limpopo.

Impact

In the Upper Limpopo basin, Co-HYDIM-SA will closely work together with the Water Utility Cooperation (WUC) that manages the Gaborone dam, a major water supply infrastructure for the city of Gaborone. With WUC, we will co-develop an Early Warning & Information systems (EWIS) with the aim of improving the dam management based on forecast of water inflow into the Gaborone reservoir for several weeks to months. In the Cuvelai-Cunene catchment in northern Namibia and southern Angola, the Cuvelai Basin Early Warning & Information System (CUVEWIS) will be co-developed with the Cuvelai Watercourse Commission (CUVECOM). It will contain hydro-meteorological information to improve monitoring and early warning of important hydroclimatic components in this cross-border catchment. Both EWIS and CUVEWIS will be implemented operationally in pilot versions at WUC and CUVECOM, respectively.

Co-HYDIM-SA will develop new products for drought monitoring and utilise existing meteorological forecast for weeks to months ahead, calibrate them, and assess their skill. The rainfall products will serve as a basic input for hydrological models that will forecast e.g. river discharge, soil moisture, and terrestrial water storage. This hazard monitoring and forecasting will be linked to actual risk reduction. The overall aim is to provide a proof of concept for improved monitoring and early warning of key hydroclimatic components in two transboundary catchments, the Cuvelai-Cunene and the Upper Limpopo.

WP 1: Data Mining and Compilation

Lead partners: KIT-IMKTRO, UNAM

The main goal of WP 1 is to significantly improve the availability of quality-controlled, hydrometeorological (observational, model-based) and socio-economic data for the study regions and to hand the data repository over to suitable organisations to secure its sustainability towards the end of the project.

WP 2: Hydrometeorological Monitoring and Forecasting at the Pan-Southern African Scale

Lead partners: KIT, BIUST

The overall aim of WP 2 is to improve and operationalise regional hydro-meteorological monitoring and forecasting capabilities, amongst others for early warning of hydro-meteorological hazards at the regional scale, based on the needs of decision makers. In the field of rainfall monitoring and user-tailored sub-seasonal and seasonal forecasting, we will closely cooperate with world-leading partners.

WP 3: Gaborone Dam Water Level Early Warning and Management System

Lead partners: BIUST, KIT

Addressing priorities of WUC and other water authorities, the EWIS system will include functionalities for monitoring droughts as wells as for (sub-)seasonal forecasting of droughts and wet spells. Hydrological models will be deployed to quantify the water inflow and outflow of the dam for the coming weeks and months. A prototype EWIS system will be implemented at WUC and tested in an operational setting in the second part of the project.

WP 4: CUVEWIS (Early Warning-supporting Hydrometeorological Information System for the Cuvelai)

Lead partners: ICWRGC/BfG (International), CUVECOM/GHABIC

Addressing CUVECOM’s priorities, the CUVEWIS system will include functionalities for monitoring and (sub-) seasonal forecasting of droughts and wet spells, including a prototype warning component for both hazards based on a traffic light approach. To include waterrelated risks and vulnerabilities for the population, this will be complemented by a risk and vulnerability assessment in WP 5.

WP 5: Vulnerability and Risk Assessment

Lead partners: UoB, UNAM

In the Cuvelai-Cunene and Limpopo River Basins, where 1.7 million and 18.8 million people reside respectively, a coherent vulnerability and risk approach is crucial, integrating collaborative modelling and stakeholder engagement to inform sustainable water-related risk reduction strategies amid the challenges posed by floods and droughts.

WP 6: Technical and Academic Capacity Building

Lead partners: ICWRGC/BfG, CUVECOM

One goal of WP 6 is to organise and implement a capacity building workshop on the use/application of project related models and tools as well as broader topics related to integrated river basin management and data management. Another goal is to contribute actively to Southern African regional education programmes.

WP 7: Technical and Academic Capacity Building (Project coordination and knowledge transfer)

Lead partners: KIT, BIUST

WP 7 provides all required instruments to assure an efficient and effective project implementation and interaction with the WASA programme partners and beyond. It assures an effective scientific, administrative, financial and risk management and coordinates the interaction/feedback loops between partners and Co-HYDIM-SA stakeholders and associated partners. It also provides the link to the project management agency, the network and transfer project and other WASA projects.