IMPETUS: Implementing HELP in the Upper Ouémé basin

Abstract

Regional climate models that take into account land-use changes indicate that in the future, a general decrease in rainfall, together with prominent surface heating, can be expected for sub-Saharan Africa and the region north of the Sahara until 2050. Due to high population growth, land use changes rapidly and influences water availability and water demand. In this context, the research project IMPETUS (‘An Integrated Approach to the Efficient Management of Scarce Water Resources in West Africa’) offers a range of options for sustainable management of different components of the hydrological cycle. Target areas are the Ouémé basin in Benin and the Drâa catchment in Morocco. This paper concentrates on the Ouémé basin. Based on plausible scenarios of future economic, demographic, and climate developments, the effects of land use, land cover change, climate change, and demographic development on water availability and water demand are quantified. Sce narios of future water availability and water demand for the Upper Ouémé (Benin) catchment are discussed.

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