Welcome to Co-HYDIM-SA
The Co-Design of Hydrometeorological Information system for Sustainable Water Resource Management in South Africa (Co-HYDIM-SA) is a project funded by BMBF and will run from 2024 to 2028. The project aims to address the urgent need for hydrometeorological early warning and information systems (EWIS) to optimize water resources management and thereby enhance water security in Southern Africa. By integrating scientific, academic, and operational expertise across meteorology, hydrology, and risk assessment with the practical knowledge of river basin authorities, water resource managers, and dam operators, the project will adopt a transdisciplinary approach to optimize water management practices.
After a record-breaking drought of at least 2 years in the Cuvelai-Cunene catchments in northern Namibia and southern Angola, the 2024/25 rainy season started late around Christmas, but then turned to one of the wettest since 2010/11. This also pertains to most of Namibia such that several dams in the country were filled at 100% capacity and others showed a filling level of around 2/3 or more at the end of the 2024/25 rainy season. This more or less ended the drought situation in the country. Of particular note is the monthly total of 306 mm (401% of the normal) in Windhoek, but also 19 mm at the hyper-arid Walvis Bay station which usually receives a March mean of 1 mm.
The Co-HYDIM-SA team visited the Cuvelai area in early October 2024, at the peak of the drought situation, and just after the rains in early April.
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Following the kick-off, data mining, and co-design workshops in Namibia and Botswana in October 2024, the consortium held a one-day face-to-face meeting at the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC), hosted by the German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach on Tuesday, 25th February 2025, to review the progress across the different work packages (WPs). During the meeting, two new members were introduced: Ms. Tuuliki Kandjinga and Mr. Jonas Appenheimer. Jonas, a scientist based at DWD, will focus on developing the drought index, GPCC_DI (Global Precipitation Climatology Centre Drought Index), for the Notwane and Cuvelai-Cunene basins.
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Co-HYDIM-SA (Co-Design of Hydrometeorological Information System for Sustainable Water Resources Management in Southern Africa), aims to optimize water resources management and enhance water security across Southern Africa. To introduce the project to stakeholders, a series of kick-off, co-design, and data mining workshops were held in Namibia and Botswana. These workshops provided a platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange, ensuring the active involvement of stakeholders in the development and implementation of the project.
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As part of the design process for the Cuvelai Basin Early Warning & Information System (CUVEWIS), the Co-HYDIM-SA consortium undertook a field trip to the Cuvelai-Cunene Basin along the Namibia-Angola border. During this visit, the team engaged with local hydrologists, independent consultants, and community members as part of the project’s co-design and co-development approach. This interaction was vital for ensuring that the perspectives and needs of all stakeholders were incorporated into the development of the early warning system, ensuring it is both effective and tailored to the specific challenges of the region.
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