ICT-Based Identification and Characterisation of Small Reservoirs in the Limpopo River Basin in Zimbabwe
Semi-arid conditions that prevail in the Limpopo basin in general and Zimbabwe in particular emphasise the importance of water storage. In this respect small reservoirs play a critical role in sustaining rural livelihoods. However, the management of small reservoirs in Zimbabwe is negatively affec...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Otro |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
Canadian Center of Science and Education
2012
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/21588 |
| _version_ | 1855534396309766144 |
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| author | Mulengera, Patrick-M. Bahal’okwibale Manzungu, Emmanuel Kileshye Onema, Jean-Marie |
| author_browse | Kileshye Onema, Jean-Marie Manzungu, Emmanuel Mulengera, Patrick-M. Bahal’okwibale |
| author_facet | Mulengera, Patrick-M. Bahal’okwibale Manzungu, Emmanuel Kileshye Onema, Jean-Marie |
| author_sort | Mulengera, Patrick-M. Bahal’okwibale |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Semi-arid conditions that prevail in the Limpopo basin in general and Zimbabwe in particular emphasise the
importance of water storage. In this respect small reservoirs play a critical role in sustaining rural livelihoods.
However, the management of small reservoirs in Zimbabwe is negatively affected by missing or poorly
coordinated information relating to such key attributes as location, capacity, and environmental condition. A
study was undertaken to identify and characterise small reservoirs in the Limpopo river basin in Zimbabwe. The
objective of the study was to identify small reservoirs and characterise them in terms of capacity, and
chlorophyll-a and turbidity indices, as proxies for measuring environmental degradation of catchments in which
these are located. The study was carried out in Gwanda district that is located in South West Zimbabwe.
Identification was done by processing Landsat TM 4-5 images of February-March and April-May 2009, using
Geographical Information Systems. Time and cost considerations were the main factors in the selection of the
technology and the images that were used. Field inspections were used to validate selected parameters from
February to April 2011. A total of 256 small reservoirs, with an estimated total capacity of 17 million m3, were
identified. The capacities of reservoirs were found to vary widely from around 4,000 m3 to over 650,000 m3.
About half (46%) of the small reservoirs were found to be dry by May, just two months after the end of the wet
season. Seven reservoirs, which represented 2% of the total number and 3% of the total capacity of reservoirs,
were characterised as highly turbid. Twenty-three reservoirs, representing 9% of the total number and 3% of the
total capacity of reservoirs, showed signs of environmental degradation in the catchments. The smallest
reservoirs were found to be most vulnerable to environmental degradation. The study concluded that Information
and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can successfully be used to identify and characterise small reservoirs in
the data-poor Limpopo basin in Zimbabwe, and can be used by decentralised water institutions and River Basin
Organisations (RBOs) to better manage available water resources for the benefit of rural communities found
therein. |
| format | Otro |
| id | CGSpace21588 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publishDateRange | 2012 |
| publishDateSort | 2012 |
| publisher | Canadian Center of Science and Education |
| publisherStr | Canadian Center of Science and Education |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace215882024-01-23T12:04:41Z ICT-Based Identification and Characterisation of Small Reservoirs in the Limpopo River Basin in Zimbabwe Mulengera, Patrick-M. Bahal’okwibale Manzungu, Emmanuel Kileshye Onema, Jean-Marie Semi-arid conditions that prevail in the Limpopo basin in general and Zimbabwe in particular emphasise the importance of water storage. In this respect small reservoirs play a critical role in sustaining rural livelihoods. However, the management of small reservoirs in Zimbabwe is negatively affected by missing or poorly coordinated information relating to such key attributes as location, capacity, and environmental condition. A study was undertaken to identify and characterise small reservoirs in the Limpopo river basin in Zimbabwe. The objective of the study was to identify small reservoirs and characterise them in terms of capacity, and chlorophyll-a and turbidity indices, as proxies for measuring environmental degradation of catchments in which these are located. The study was carried out in Gwanda district that is located in South West Zimbabwe. Identification was done by processing Landsat TM 4-5 images of February-March and April-May 2009, using Geographical Information Systems. Time and cost considerations were the main factors in the selection of the technology and the images that were used. Field inspections were used to validate selected parameters from February to April 2011. A total of 256 small reservoirs, with an estimated total capacity of 17 million m3, were identified. The capacities of reservoirs were found to vary widely from around 4,000 m3 to over 650,000 m3. About half (46%) of the small reservoirs were found to be dry by May, just two months after the end of the wet season. Seven reservoirs, which represented 2% of the total number and 3% of the total capacity of reservoirs, were characterised as highly turbid. Twenty-three reservoirs, representing 9% of the total number and 3% of the total capacity of reservoirs, showed signs of environmental degradation in the catchments. The smallest reservoirs were found to be most vulnerable to environmental degradation. The study concluded that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can successfully be used to identify and characterise small reservoirs in the data-poor Limpopo basin in Zimbabwe, and can be used by decentralised water institutions and River Basin Organisations (RBOs) to better manage available water resources for the benefit of rural communities found therein. 2012-08-15 2012-08-17T04:17:05Z 2012-08-17T04:17:05Z Other https://hdl.handle.net/10568/21588 en Open Access application/pdf Canadian Center of Science and Education Patrick-M. Bahal’okwibale Mulengera1, 2, Emmanuel Manzungu3 & Jean Marie Kileshye Onema Department of Civil Engineering, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe Section des Sciences Exactes, Institut Supérieur Pédagogique de Walungu, Democratic Republic of the Congo Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe WaterNet, Harare, Zimbabwe |
| spellingShingle | Mulengera, Patrick-M. Bahal’okwibale Manzungu, Emmanuel Kileshye Onema, Jean-Marie ICT-Based Identification and Characterisation of Small Reservoirs in the Limpopo River Basin in Zimbabwe |
| title | ICT-Based Identification and Characterisation of Small Reservoirs in the Limpopo River Basin in Zimbabwe |
| title_full | ICT-Based Identification and Characterisation of Small Reservoirs in the Limpopo River Basin in Zimbabwe |
| title_fullStr | ICT-Based Identification and Characterisation of Small Reservoirs in the Limpopo River Basin in Zimbabwe |
| title_full_unstemmed | ICT-Based Identification and Characterisation of Small Reservoirs in the Limpopo River Basin in Zimbabwe |
| title_short | ICT-Based Identification and Characterisation of Small Reservoirs in the Limpopo River Basin in Zimbabwe |
| title_sort | ict based identification and characterisation of small reservoirs in the limpopo river basin in zimbabwe |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/21588 |
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