Backgrond
Coastlines worldwide are heavily impacted by pollution, erosion and physical constructs. River dams influence the natural flow of water. Large-scale agriculture cause nutrient and sediment depositions along cost lines and waters. New chemicals from industry run-offs have entered the priority lists of international organizations and require coastal zone impact and monitoring studies. In addition, increased economic activities from tourism, fisheries, urbanization and traffic offers challenges for coastal zone managers and regulators. The management issues and their solutions require an integrated approach drawn from natural and socio-economic sciences. Numerous studies have been conducted directly address challenges, however the AfriBASINS Program provides a more comprehensive integrated assessment. This project utilizes the Driver-Pressure-State-Impacts-Responses (DPSIR) framework, originally developed at OECD, to analyze critical issues in African watersheds and to assess the overall impacts of the movement of materials and particles through watersheds to coastal zones.

AfriCAT Pilot Projects
(A joint LOICZ/START activity)
The impoundment of water by damming and its abstraction through tube wells are common practices within the Africa region. They are driven by an increasing demand from urban and rural communities for reliable freshwater supply, agricultural irrigation and hydro-electric power. As these practices become more widespread, they are leading to significant reductions in the fluxes of water and river-borne sediment that are discharged through catchment to coastal sea systems. These flux reductions are contributing to changes in the state of the coastal environment and these changes are in turn impacting coastal communities through coastal erosion, estuarine salinization and the depletion of nutrients in the coastal sea.

The catchments chosen for this pilot study comprise the Sebou and Moulouya–the two largest rivers in Morocco–both of which have been dammed; the Senegal–a large West African river dammed in its lower course; the Tana and Sabaki in Kenya, the former having been dammed; and the Rufiji in Tanzania, for which damming is planned. While the catchments differ in the state and scale of their damming and in the nature of the impacts and issues at the coast, a standardized approach to the research is proposed. This approach places a strong emphasis on consultation with catchment and coastal managers, and, where appropriate, coastal stakeholders, building on a comprehensive review of the literature and relevant unpublished information as well as the scientists’ own observed data.

Outcomes
Arthurton, R.S., H.H. Kremer, E. Odada, W. Salomons and J.I. Marshall Crossland (2002) African Basins: LOICZ Global Change Assessment and Synthesis of River Catchment-Coastal Sea Interactions and Human Dimensions. LOICZ Reports & Studies No.25, ii + 344 pages, LOICZ IPO, Texel, The Netherlands.

Global Change and Ground Water Sustainable Use Workshop held in Gaborone, Botswana, 7- 9 June 2002.

A synthesis of AfriCat undertakings and a complete set of manuscripts featuring modern integrative global change research approaches and results in four different African sub-regions (to be published in a peer reviewed journal).

Progress in linking African regional networks to the wider global change sciences as well as to the Pan African Conference following the recommendations of the Johannesburg WSSD and the Millennium Development Goals.

A concise strategy leading to the implementation of AfriCat II.

For more information, contact:
Patricia Sipher
Email: psipher@agu.org

LOICZ
Dr Hartwig Kremer, Executive Officer
P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB
Den Burg, Texel
The Netherlands
Tel: +31-(0)222-369404
Fax: +31-(0)222-369430
Email: kremer@nioz.nl