Theme 1: Water quality and linkages to origin of water resource
Main objectives:
- Improving the knowledge of the spatial and temporal aspects of the countrywide (Malawi) and regional water quality.
- Assessing the main spatial and temporal variation in chemical composition of water relative to its usage (drinking water, irrigation etc.) and related to their governing factors in the catchments.
- Information developed from this study will be used to inform and facilitate development and sustainable management of water resources.
- This study will be closely linked to the four other areas of research within the network project.
Participants:
University of Malawi (John Saka, Maurice Monjerezi, Samson Sajidu)
University of Botswana (L. Molwalefhe)
University of Oslo (Rolf D. Vogt, Per Aagaard)
Theme 2: Groundwater
Main objectives:
- Obtaining information on data availability and limitations in application of groundwater modeling in southern Africa.
- Providing a useful reference and guidance to those hydrologists and water resources engineers who are working in the field of water resources assessment at different levels for various purposes.
- Conducting a feasibility study for regeneration of high water quality and increase shallow groundwater resources by simple waste water treatment followed by infiltration.
- This study will be closely linked to the four other areas of research within the network project.
Participants:
University of Botswana (TR Chaoka, L Molwalefhe, BF Alemaw)
University of Oslo (Per Aagaard)
University of Malawi (B. Manda, Z. Dulanya)
Theme 3: Water resources and hydrological extremes
Main objectives:
- Based on an inventory of existing data and earlier work, identify emerging tasks within flood and drought research addressing the need of the region as well as countries (Malawi in particular), sub-regions or sites.
- Study the high variability of hydrological extremes, flood and drought, with respect to regional climatic variables and catchment structure causing high local variability.
- Map the spatial behavior of extreme hydrological events using a combination of data sources, including high resolution satellite data.
Participants:
University of Malawi (Zuze Dulanya & James Chimphamba)
University of Botswana (BF Alemaw)
University of the Western Cape (Yongxin Xu)
University of Oslo (Lena M. Tallaksen, Lars Gottschalk, Hege Hisdal)
Theme 4: Water resources under present and future climate
Main objectives:
- Collection and quality control of all the data available (meteorology, hydrology, catchment physical properties, land-use changes, maps (if possible in digital format of topographic, geological maps, soil, vegetation and land use, remote sensing, etc) for the study area for the past 100 years when applicable.
- Statistical analyses of the data for temporal trends and spatial variability
Participants:
University of Malawi (T. Chirwa, C. Ngongondo)
University of Botswana (BF Alemaw)
University of Oslo (Chong-yu Xu, Lars Gottschalk, Lena Tallaksen)
Theme 5: Water resources and local knowledge systems
Main objectives:
- to determine the water management strategies practiced by people in the selected rural areas of Malawi, Botswana and South Africa and to assess their contribution to ecological sustainability.
- to identify indigenous knowledge related to water use and management and analyze how such practices contribute to the improved health of communities and preservation and enhancement of the hydrological cycle.
Participants:
University of Malawi (T. Kanyerere & John Saka)
University of Western Cape (Yongxin Xu)