Co-HYDIM-SA (“Co-design of a Hydrometeorological Information System for Sustainable Water Resources Management in Southern Africa”) is a transdisciplinary research project under the Programme “Water Security in Africa” (WASA). The project aims to strengthen water security and climate resilience in southern Africa by developing innovative hydrometeorological monitoring, forecasting, and decision-support systems. By integrating scientific research, operational water management, stakeholder engagement, and capacity development, Co-HYDIM-SA seeks to improve preparedness for droughts and floods while supporting sustainable water resources management in data-scarce and climate-vulnerable regions.
A key component of the project is the development of the Cuvelai Basin Early Warning and Information System (CUVEWIS), designed to support water management and planning in the transboundary Cuvelai-Cunene system shared by Angola and Namibia. CUVEWIS combines hydrometeorological information, forecasting tools, water resources assessments, and risk information to support evidence-based decision-making by water managers, river basin organisations, and policymakers.
As part of Co-HYDIM-SA, a PhD research supervised by PD Dr. Luna Bharati at the International Centre for Water Resources and Global Change (ICWRGC) investigates current and future water availability and demand in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin of Namibia. The research, entitled “Assessment of Current and Future Water Availability and Demand under Climate and Socio-economic Change,” focuses on understanding the basin’s water supply-demand dynamics and evaluating future water security under changing climatic and socio-economic conditions. Using the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model, the study integrates hydrological, climatic, infrastructure, and water demand data to assess water allocation within the Central North Water Supply Area, which supplies water to approximately 40% of Namibia’s population. The research examines interactions between water availability, population growth, land cover change, infrastructure development, and sectoral water demands, including domestic, agricultural, livestock, and institutional uses. Future scenarios incorporating climate change projections, demographic growth, and evolving water use patterns will be developed to assess potential risks and adaptation pathways. The study also adopts a mixed-methods approach by integrating stakeholder engagement and gender-responsive perspectives into water allocation planning, ensuring that technical solutions are informed by local knowledge, priorities, and societal needs.
The findings will contribute directly to the development of CUVEWIS by providing a basin-scale water allocation and planning framework capable of supporting sustainable water management, climate adaptation, and long-term resilience planning in northern Namibia. More broadly, the research supports Co-HYDIM-SA’s objective of advancing science-based decision support systems that strengthen water security across southern Africa.
