The GLOWA Volta project: Integrated assessment of feedback mechanisms between climate, landuse, and hydrology

Abstract

Water management issues critical to the Volta Basin are discussed in this paper. An introduction to the Volta Basin and its hydrological characteristics provides the necessary background. Hydropower production for urban areas and irrigation development in rural areas compete for water resources. The paper introduces the GLOWA Volta project and presents details highlighting the project’s integrative approach. In order to address water-policy issues, the GLOWA Volta Project seeks to develop a scientifically sound Decision Support System. The main premise of the GLOWA Volta investigation is that changes in landuse may have important, yet unknown, effects on the hydrological cycle of the basin. To predict future water availability, landuse change, driven by physical and social factors, needs to be predicted as well. In order to illustrate the different ways in which landuse affects the movement of water over the surface and through the atmosphere, three examples are given. The first example treats the indirect and direct effects of changes in soil moisture on the atmospheric circulation. In the second example, the high sensitivity of surface water availability with respect to rainfall is determined. The final example shows the increase in dam building activity in the basin which has a direct but rather limited impact on availability of water resources downstream.