Integrating water resources management in eco-hydrological modelling

Area of Science:

• Eco-hydrology
• Water Resources Management

Background:

• The Upper Niger Basin in the West African Sahel experiences a monsoon climate with high rainfall and discharge seasonality.
• Effective reservoir management is critical for optimizing water use and mitigating climate variability impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the integration of water resources management with reservoir management in an eco-hydrological model.
• To simulate various reservoir management strategies, including hydropower, irrigation, and downstream provisioning.
• To investigate climate change impacts and adaptation strategies for reservoir management.

Main Methods:

• Development of an integrated eco-hydrological model.
• Simulation of different reservoir management scenarios.
• Utilizing measured reservoir data for model validation.

Main Results:

• The model successfully simulates reservoir regulation, demonstrating distinct inflow and downstream discharge patterns.
• The integration highlights the importance of water resources management in reservoir operations.
• The model can assess climate variability effects on water discharge.

Conclusions:

• The integrated model provides a valuable tool for understanding and managing water resources in monsoon-affected regions.
• Optimized reservoir and water resources management are essential for adapting to climate variability and change.
• The study underscores the necessity of incorporating water resources management into eco-hydrological modeling for effective environmental management.