Hydrologic Modeling with Remote Sensing for Groundwater Resources Management within the Sand River Catchment of the Limpopo River Basin

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Presenter(s)

Sophia Bakar

Abstract or Description

The Limpopo River Basin (LRB) is a transboundary river basin that spans Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The basin is home to approximately 18 million people and biodiversity hotspots. Groundwater is a critical resource, especially in the context of population growth and climate change. Data are needed for proper management of these water resources. In regions where groundwater data are sparse in time, space, or both, the most promising solutions come from satellites and hydrologic models. The Soutpansberg Mountains, specifically the Sand River Catchment act as a high-elevation water tower with uncertain groundwater resources. To estimate groundwater resources, a hydrologic model that integrated groundwater, surface water, and precipitation was developed. Groundwater data were obtained from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). Precipitation was obtained from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) program and ground-based gages. Surface water was obtained from the South Africa Department of Water and Sanitation gage network. Integrated data were also obtained from the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) that combines satellite and ground-based data with land surface models and data assimilation. Baseflow was examined with a hydrologic modeling software (HEC-HMS from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers). Model results suggest that the water resources within the Soutpansberg Mountains contribute significantly to baseflow and are an integral component of water security in the downstream Sand River Catchment.

Mentor

David Kahler