Climate research is of crucial importance for Africa, which is particularly affected by the consequences of climate change, although it has historically contributed little to global emissions. At the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, several institutes are conducting research on projects with a
research focus on climate.
Co-HYDIM-SA - design of a hydro-meteorological information system for sustainable water resource management in Southern Africa
Co-HYDIM-SA responds to the expressed need for hydrometeorological early warning and information systems (EWIS) to optimize water resources management and thereby enhance water security in Southern Africa. This will be achieved through a transdisciplinary approach by combining scientific, academic and operational expertise from the fields of meteorology, hydrology and risk assessment with the expertise of river basin authorities as well as water resource and dam managers. The innovative aspects are to (a) utilize the novel capabilities of sub-seasonal to seasonal
hydrometeorological forecasting, (b) significantly improve the capability and details of seasonal forecasts, e.g. for river discharge, soil moisture and terrestrial water storage, (c) to link hazard monitoring and forecasting to actual risk mitigation, and (d) to provide a proof of concept for improved
monitoring and early warning of key hydroclimatic components in two transboundary catchments, the Cuvelai-Cunene and the Upper Limpopo. State-of-the-art technologies and socio-economic approaches such as vulnerability and risk assessment will ensure that the jointly developed EWIS takes
into account the needs of stakeholders in a holistic perspective and supports improved water resource management. The approach will be flanked by the promotion of young scientists in the region and the establishment of an "educational hub", which will serve as a knowledge broker for the systematic training of technical experts.
Institute: IMKTRO Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung
Contact: Prof. Dr. Andreas Fink
Duration: 2024 – 2028
LINK: Ko-Design eines hydro-meteorologischen Informationssystems für nachhaltiges Wasserressourcenmanagement im südlichen Afrika | kooperation-international | Forschung. Wissen.Innovation.
FURIFLOOD Current and future risks of urban and rural flooding in West Africa - An integrated analysis and eco-systembased solutions
The FURIFLOOD project will generate scientific knowledge regarding climate drivers of current and future extreme events related to flooding in West Africa and integrates this with case studies to better understand current and future risks and impacts. Based on this understanding the FURIFLOOD project will derive and evaluate ecosystem-based strategies to reduce current and future risk to flooding using a participatory approach. The case studies of the FURIFLOOD project will be in the tropical region of West Africa and thus complementing and building on the results of the first WASCAL research program in the Sudan Savannah zone. This approach allows to develop a regional expertise on flooding and extreme events in West Africa to be implemented at the WASCAL Competence Center. KIT-IMKTRO will work on statistics and dynamical understanding of present and
future extreme precipitation using observational data and model experiments as well as in capacity development measures and supervision of WASCAL Ph.D students. The topics of their theses are planned to cover other climate extremes like heat waves, dust storms and droughts.
Institute: IMKTRO Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung
Contact: Prof. Dr. Andreas Fink
Duration: 2021 – 2024
LINK: https://furiflood.imk-tro.kit.edu/
CONCERT- Greenhouse gas emissions and their mitigation options in climate and land use change in West Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is currently experiencing rapid population growth, associated with a significant agricultural intensification. This causes, inter alia, environmental degradation, increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, soil erosion and biodiversity loss. Climate change (CC) exacerbates the
vulnerability of the people by increasing temperatures, shifting precipitation regimes (rainy season onset and cessation changes), and altering drought and heavy precipitation risks. Accordingly,sustainable agriculture and food production under climate and land use (LU) change is a crucial factor in improving people’s livelihoods and maintaining peace in the region. Sustainable agriculture must not only be resilient to CC but also needs to mitigate GHG emissions and increase carbon (C) sequestration in already degraded soils. The aim of CONCERT is to identify emission mitigation options for the major greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), in parallel with improving food security. This will be tackled through (a) the extension of WASCAL’s current flux observation network, b) estimation and projection of GHG emission budgets for the region, using a fully-coupled regional climate-hydrology-dynamic vegetation model (Earth System Model,ESM), specifically adapted to the WASCAL region, and c) identification of LU options suitable for mitigating GHG emissions, increasing soil C stocks and improving food security for the West African Sudan savanna. This will be achieved by a unique concerted and intertwined observation and modeling strategy in CONCERT. The results will be jointly developed and iterated with stakeholders and communicated to policymakers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for implementation.
Institute: IMKIFU Institut für Meteorologie und Klimaforschung
Contact: Prof. Dr. Harald Kunstmann
Duration: 2021 – 2024
LINK: https://www.uni-augsburg.de/en/fakultaet/fai/geo/prof/georkl/forschung/project-concert/