Analysis of floods and droughts in southern Africa
The aim of my research is to perform a long term analysis of droughts and floods as a hydrological restriction in the Cuvelai Basin, northern Namibia, where the population is highly dependent on the scarce and temporary water resources called Oshanas, but also affected by their associated impacts, such as road infrastructure damages, waterborne diseases (Malaria, Cholera), isolation, homestead destruction and agricultural losses.
I will calculate the spatial-temporal extent and frequency of floods and droughts using both optical and radar satellite images acquired from 1980 to 2015, in order to demonstrate and quantify the variability of rainfall and to provide accurate maps of vulnerable areas where resilience measures need to be taken.
In the framework of water scarcity and because fluctuations of hydro-meteorological extremes also influence the surface water quality, I am planning to carry out interviews with the Namibian local community, as well as physicochemical water analyses of the Oshanas, which are valuable resources for agriculture, especially livestock.
The results will consist of hydrological vulnerability maps associated with the erratic water levels of the Oshanas, which can further be used as input data for educating the local population and for landscape planning in northern Namibia, e.g. infrastructure modernization, water harvesting and homestead planning.
This project will bring major contributions to strengthening the collaboration between the German and Namibian research groups. Thus, Namibians will become empowered and better informed concerning their own environmental problems, which will facilitate problem-solving.