Your search found 5 records
1 Altchenko, Yvan; Shu, Yunqiao. 2011. Water resource management in the Olifants Basin of South Africa: previous projects and future prospects. Paper presented at the 1st Sub Saharan Africa HELP Basin Workshop, Johannesburg, South Africa, 23-25 November 2011. 4p.
Water management ; River basin management ; Water stress ; Water quality ; Food security ; Research projects / South Africa / Olifants River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H044604)
(0.05 MB)
The Olifants River Basin is located in the north-eastern part of the South Africa and southern to Mozambique.The Olifants River passes through three provinces of South Africa (Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo Province), through the Kruger National Park, into Mozambique, where it joins the Limpopo . it is the home to nearly 10 % of the total population of South Africa. The climate is semi-arid, with rain falling primarily during the summer (November to March). Precipitation averages 630 mm and potential evaporation is 1700mm. In South Africa, significant mining, industrial and agricultural activities (including intensive irrigation schemes) are concentrated within the catchment, so it is of considerable importance for the country’s economy.However, Water is especially scarce in this basin. Like many river basins in South Africa, water resources in the Olifants river basin are almost fully allocated. Water demand management, especially in the agricultural sector, which is the biggest user, is one of the possible solutions being considered by the South African Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF). The basin also faces significant water quality problems, due to mining activities, industries, power generation and agricultural use of water. The impact of these pollutions (high salinity, high concentrations of metals, low pH) are probably multiple with serious ecological impacts. Particularly of concern in the downstream Kruger National Park which is a major tourist attraction in South Africa and more importantly very worrisome health impacts, since some people are drinking surface water without any treatment. In South Africa it is of prime importance to maintain a minimum level of water quality and quantity in the rivers in order to maintain a healthy biophysical environment (DWAF, 1997). This requirement, referred to as the ‘Ecological Reserve’, is as important in the South African legislation as meeting the basic human needs and must be met before any other users can abstract water. Main activities on the Olifants basin have been done through the Challenge Program on Water and Food and the WETwin project but not only.
2 Shu, Yunqiao; Villholth, Karen G. 2012. Analysis of flow and baseflow trends in the Usangu Catchment, Tanzania. Paper presented at the 16th SANCIAHS National Hydrology Symposium, Pretoria, South Africa, 1-3 October 2012. 13p.
Hydrology ; Water resources ; Water management ; Catchment areas ; Flow discharge ; Stream flow ; Evapotranspiration ; Groundwater recharge ; Climate change / Tanzania / Usangu Catchment
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H045582)
http://www.ru.ac.za/static/institutes/iwr/SANCIAHS/2012/documents/047_Shu.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H045582.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H045582.pdf
(0.69 MB) (735.37KB)
Perceived increased water scarcity in the Usangu catchment, Tanzania has raised social conflict that requires proper water management. Proper management of water resources requires understanding long-term trends of hydrological change. Information of baseflow is critical in the assessment of changes as it is the main contributor to stream flow in the dry season, while also indicating potential shifts in flow pathways in a catchment, including that of groundwater. Three upper perennial tributaries as well as a lower main channel downstream of the Usangu catchment were analysed in this study. The recursive digital filter (RDF) method was used to quantify baseflow with monthly stream flow records. Baseflow decline over the 50-year period (1960–2009) was a generally observed phenomenon across the catchment in all the streams investigated. A significant downward sloping change point was detected in 1989/1990. Total stream flows also decreased for the western part (because baseflow constituted a major share), whereas total stream flows did not change for the eastern and lower section. These phenomena may be partially explained by climate factors (including rainfall and potential evapotranspiration (ET)) as well as human activities (e.g. deforestation, irrigation, and groundwater abstraction) taking place in the lower as well as upper parts of the catchment.
3 Zhang, F.; Hanjra, Munir A.; Hua, F.; Shu, Yunqiao; Li, Y. 2014. Analysis of climate variability in the Manas River Valley, North-Western China (1956–2006). Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 19(7):1091-1107. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-013-9462-2]
Climate change ; Rivers ; Valleys ; Temperature ; Precipitation ; Regression analysis ; Land use ; Land policies ; Farmland ; Crop production ; Water policy ; Irrigation / North-Western China / Manas River Valley
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046022)
(0.41 MB)
This paper examines the short-run climate variability (change in the levels of temperature and precipitation) with a focus on the Manas River Valley, North-Western China, over the past 50 years (1956 to 2006) using data collected from four meteorological stations. The results show that the annual mean temperature had a positive trend, with temperature increasing at 0.4 °C per decade. Application of the Mann-Kendall test revealed that the overall positive trend became statistically significant at the p = 0.95 level only after 1988. The increase in temperature was most marked in winter and spring (0.8 and 0.7 °C per decade, respectively), absent in summer and very small in autumn (0.1 °C per decade). Concerning precipitation, our results indicate a negative but not significant trend for the period between 1956 and 1982, while annual total precipitation tended to increase thereafter and the increase was mainly during the crop growing-season. Concerning variability in temperature and precipitation, the characteristic time scales were identified by application of wavelet analysis. For temperature the quasi-decadal variations were found on time scales between approximately 5 and 15 years, with a peak in wavelet variance on a time scale of 9 years. For precipitation, the most striking features were a precipitation increase (6.7 mm per decade) during the crop growing season. Irregularities and abrupt changes in both temperature and precipitation were more common at scales less than 10 years, indicating the complexity and uncertainty in the short-period climate variability. Possible causes of climate variability in the Manas River Valley may include anthropogenic factors such as intensive human activity and the expansion of both farmland and irrigation. Global climate variability might also have some impacts on the local climate variability; analyses of local and regional climate trends can better inform local adaptation actions for global impacts.
4 Pavelic, Paul; Villholth, Karen G.; Shu, Yunqiao; Rebelo, Lisa-Maria; Smakhtin, Vladimir. 2013. Smallholder groundwater irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: country-level estimates of development potential. Water International, 38(4):392-407. (Special issue on "Sustainable groundwater development for improved livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa, Part 1" with contributions by IWMI authors). [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2013.819601]
Groundwater resources ; Groundwater irrigation ; Groundwater recharge ; Irrigation development ; Irrigated sites ; Smallholders ; Water balance ; Water demand ; Water use ; Farmer-led irrigation ; Environmental effects / Sub-Saharan Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: PER Record No: H046052)
(0.32 MB)
The abundance of groundwater resources of Sub-Saharan Africa is generally well recognized, but quantitative estimates of their potential for irrigation development are lacking. This study derives estimates using a simple and generic water balance approach and data from secondary sources for 13 countries. Even with conservative assumptions and accounting for water demands from other sectors, including the environment, a 120-fold increase (by 13.5 million hectares) in the area under groundwater irrigation is possible for the countries considered. This expansion could improve the livelihoods of approximately 40% of the present-day rural population.
5 Pavelic, Paul; Villholth, Karen G.; Shu, Yunqiao; Rebelo, Lisa-Maria; Smakhtin, V. 2023. Smallholder groundwater irrigation in Sub-Saharan Africa: country-level estimates of development potential. In Pavelic, Paul; Villholth, K. G.; Verma, Shilp. (Eds.). Sustainable groundwater development for improved livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa. Abingdon, Oxon, UK: Routledge. pp.30-45. (Routledge Special Issues on Water Policy and Governance)
Smallholders ; Groundwater irrigation ; Water resources ; Water balance ; Irrigated areas variety ; Water demand ; Livelihoods ; Rural population ; Socioeconomic aspects / Africa South of Sahara / Burkina Faso / Ethiopia / Ghana / Kenya / Malawi / Mali / Mozambique / Niger / Nigeria / Rwanda / United Republic of Tanzania / Uganda / Zambia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy SF Record No: H052022)
The abundance of groundwater resources of Sub-Saharan Africa is generally well recognized, but quantitative estimates of their potential for irrigation development are lacking. This study derives estimates using a simple and generic water balance approach and data from secondary sources for 13 countries. Even with conservative assumptions and accounting for water demands from other sectors, including the environment, a 120-fold increase (by 13.5 million hectares) in the area under groundwater irrigation is possible for the countries considered. This expansion could improve the livelihoods of approximately 40% of the present-day rural population.
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