During her internship at ICWRGC from 1 September 2025 to 31 February 2026, Veronica Köss wrote her Master’s thesis, which she submitted on 4 May, entitled “Simulating discharge into the Calueque reservoir, Angola: A SWAT-based analysis of the Cunene basin”. Veronica studied geography at the University of Bonn, specializing in “Water in Global Change”.
Her Master’s thesis was supervised by Dr Luna Bharati of ICWRGC. The thesis involved the development of a SWAT+ model to simulate the flow of the Kunene River into the Calueque Reservoir in Angola. The model simulates daily flow dynamics. The thesis also presents the spatially and temporally distributed water balance and analyses the key factors influencing the hydrological system. The greatest challenges lay in the limited availability of in-situ data and the significant impact of discharge regulation by dams.
The approach developed can serve as a basis for long-term forecasts of water availability and variability in the region. On the one hand, the model can be used as input for water allocation models in northern Namibia; on the other hand, it improves our understanding of hydrological characteristics in the Kunene catchment in Angola and can thus support management and decision-making processes. However, this requires further optimization of
the model as well as improved data availability.
As part of her Master’s thesis, Veronica spent several weeks in Namibia, where she attended, among other events, the Co-HYDIM-SA Annual Meeting and the CUVEWIS Workshop in Oshakati, which brought together representatives from various institutions and regional stakeholders. She also gained insights into the work of CUVECOM, a regional water supply organisation and project partner in the Co-HYDIM-SA project. Through close cooperation on site, Veronica gained access to important data and professional exchanges, which were directly incorporated into her Master’s thesis.
During her time with ICWRGC, Veronica also gained valuable insights into its work and was involved in various activities, including meetings and the evaluation process for its designation as a UNESCO Category 2 Centre. This gave her the opportunity to learn about international research on water-related topics beyond the scope of her own research.
