Page 43 - CIWA Water Data Revolution Overview Report

aims to build a platform which connects existing water demand-driven products and tools, which
incorporate RS data, with water resource decision makers, while improving the capacity of water
organizations to collect, store, and analyze their own RS data and information. The WDR project
is combining a bottom-up approach with a more wholistic view to data management in order to
address this challenge. The approach begins by considering user insight for data needs to identify
shared preferences among all end-users. This is then combined with a wholistic view of the types
of data which are available and an understanding of how innovative technologies such as RS
tools, satellite imagery, and data products can be used to meet the needs of the users. In order
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to reach this end, interviews were conducted with African river basin organizations (RBOs) and
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regional organizations (ROs) to understand their needs and assess their capacity by evaluating
the status, availability, and use of data, data products, and analytical tools.

Results from these assessments are described and synthesized in this report. This assessment
allowed for the identification of data gaps for RBOs and Ros, and in response created a strategic
plan for addressing these data needs through adoption of RS data, data products, and WRM
analytical tools utilizing RS data. Moreover, the feedback from this assessment provided valuable
insight on challenges associated with adopting RS technologies, such as financial constraints,
technical capacity, and staffing shortages. Based on the assessment findings, recommendations
are provided to ensure the WDR program provides training and capacity building opportunities
which align with the needs and goals of the organizations.

2 Introduction

Africa’s rapidly growing population, strengthening economy, and changing climate are
increasing water demand across the continent, while a lack of data hinders the efficient
management of this valuable resource. This complicates the political, institutional, economic, and
financial challenges countries face as they manage and develop their transboundary rivers, lakes,
and aquifers. These impediments affecting the water sector create a bottleneck to growth and
prosperity in Africa. Climate variability and uncertainty resulting in damaging floods and droughts
exacerbates vulnerability and makes sustainable water resource development a dynamic
challenge. Extreme hydro-climatological events are of increasing concern across Africa. For
example, in East Africa (Rwanda, Kenya, Somalia, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda,
Djibouti and Tanzania), the number of people affected by flooding increased from 1.1 million in
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2016 to 4 million in 2019, and to close to 6 million in 2020 . Managing water-related hazards and
risks (e.g., flood and drought) is a central obstacle to strengthening African resilience to climate
change.

Many of the most water vulnerable places are also the most hydrologically data poor.
Hydrometeorological and agricultural monitoring networks across Africa are often limited in

4 River basin organizations oversee activities that have basin-wide impacts, including at the transnational, national, or local scales.
5 Regional organizations refers to organizations that service multiple rivers and basins, such a multi-governmental organizations focused on
regional or continental operations.
6 BBC. (2020, October 6). Flooding hits six million people in East Africa. BBC News. Retrieved April 26, 2022, from
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54433904
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