Application of weap model to assess future water demands and water balance of the middle Kafue river basin.
Date
2022
Authors
Kachunga, Aaron
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
The ability to assess the catchment potential to satisfy water demands is vital for the management of the water resources. The current water allocation system in Zambia sits under the Water Resources Management Act No. 21 of 2011. The system needed to encourage optimal use of water resources as it provides prudent management, development, conservation, protection and preservation of the water resource in the country. The Kafue Basin as a whole experience priority water allocation conflicts on water permits due to high water demand for domestic, agriculture, hydro-power generation and industrial use. Water Evaluation And Planning Model (WEAP) provides an effective means of ensuring the water resource is being managed in an integrated and sustainable manner. The study focused on application of the WEAP Model to assess future water demands and effects of climate change on water allocation. Three different output scenarios which were used as inputs in the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model projected the intensity of climate change on the Kafue Basin and these output scenarios included: Two Climate scenarios i.e. MRCP 8.5 and MRCP 4.5 and one reference scenario from 1951 to 2021 which depicted the actual ideal conditions. The simulation showed that the Kafue Basin is highly affected by the effects of climate change which in turn results into decreased rainfall leading to decrease in the Kafue river flow, increased temperatures and evaporation. These effects result in low hydropower production from Itezhi –Tezhi and Kafue Gorge within the basin and lower the agricultural production hence the model that was applied would be used to effectively manage the water resources in the Kafue basin as a whole and could be used as a mitigating tool.
Key Words: Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) Model
Description
Master of Engineering in Water Resources Engineering
Keywords
Weap model--Application of. , Water resources development--Zambia.