Scientific Data for Decision Making Toward Sustainable Development: Senegal River Basin Case Study Summary of a Workshop (2003) / Chapter Skim
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3 Summary of Presentations on Scientific Data for Decision Making
3 Summary of Presentations on Scientific Data for Decision Making
Pages 14-29
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From page 14... ...
They identified and to some extent characterized the many different kinds of data that have either already been collected or that are still needed to support decision making toward sustainable development of the SRB. The presentations covered four broad topical areas.1 The first three addressed environmental, health, and SRB socioeconomic issues and related data aspects, while the fourth focused on issues concerning data for decision making about dam projects.
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From page 15... ...
Inadequate agricultural and health planning, however, resulted in a major crisis in health and nutrition beginning in 1987, especially the schistosomiasis epidemic at Richard Toll, which is discussed in more detail below. The Manantali and Diama dams also reduced the variety of ecosystems in the valley, benefiting monocultures such as sugarcane but also resulting in aquatic weed nuisances and water-associated disease vectors.
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From page 16... ...
These are maintained in the EROS Data Center archive, are freely available, and are routinely updated. The program also generates several dynamic data sets that are presented in near real time and that include spatially distributed rainfall estimates, water runoff estimates, a normalized difference vegetation index, and crop-water saturation indexes.
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From page 17... ...
As decision making and concepts of sustainable development look further into the future, the assembly and analysis of weather records and the creation of information products become more complex and more important. Weather and climate information can help in monitoring and assessing many environmental parameters and problems, including agricultural production and fresh water supplies.
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From page 18... ...
for Environmental Monitoring over the Senegal River Basins The data set available at NOAA for climate monitoring over the Senegal River basin includes in-situ and satellite-derived data and information. The insitu data are received daily through the World Meteorological Organization's Global Telecommunications System (GTS)
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From page 19... ...
While the SFM provides valuable estimates of stream flow (and hence river stage) , a second crucial component of flood information pertains to the spatial patterns and extent of flooding, an issue that can be addressed using fine-resolution satellite images.
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a general description of land cover and land-use management. Daily time-step environmental models require more detailed information about the atmospheric driving variables (daily total precipitation, daily maximum and minimum air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, and solar radiation)
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From page 21... ...
. These driving variables have been used to simulate the global patterns of the major ecosystem variables using the Century ecosystem model.l° The patterns of the Century model output variables have been simulated for the past 100 years using weather data sets that are interpolated to the 0.5 *
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From page 22... ...
Disease epidemics around Diama Dam began the year after the dam was completed, and a large number of surveys on water-associated diseases have been conducted around Diama by local and foreign universities and agencies almost every year since then. The Onchocerciasis Control program of the WHO collected data on river blindness and its spread by blackflies in the upper basin until the disease was controlled, which occurred around about 1990.
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From page 23... ...
The TDR strategic direction on schistosomiasis research is focused on this objective until an extensive review by a Scientific Working Group in 2005. WHO also supports related data collection, database development, and data access.
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From page 24... ...
The first outbreak of intestinal schistosomiasis in humans was in the delta town of Richard Toll in 1988-1989. After Diama Dam became operational and many hydro-agricultural activities were set up, an increase in animal trematodosis was observed in the SRB as well.
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From page 25... ...
SOCIOECONOMIC ISSUES AND RELATED DATA An Atlas on Population, Food, and Environment: Senegal River Basin and CILSS Member Countries This atlas presents the results of a temporal and spatial analysis of the relations between population factors, agricultural land use and performances, nutrition, and land degradation. The geographic area included in this project covered four CILSS member countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Senegal.
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From page 26... ...
. ISSUES CONCERNING DATA FOR DECISION MAKING ABOUT DAM PROJECTS The Report of the World Commission on Dams An Advocacy for an Improved Information Base for Sustainable and Equitable Management of Water and Energy Resources The World Commission on Dams (WCD)
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From page 27... ...
As a follow-up to the WCD report the UNEP Dams and Development project "promotes dialogue on improving decision making, planning and management of dams and their alternatives based on the WCD core values and strategic priorities."l9 Using GIS to Identify Opportunities for Cooperation in International River Systems20 Despite the growing literature on water and conflict in international river basins, little empirical work has been done to bolster common conclusions that 19 Additional information on this project can be obtained from the UNEP Dams and Development Web site at http://www.unep-dams.org. 20 Summary of a study by Aaron T
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From page 28... ...
Complementing Data: Elements of Decision Making for Natural Resource Management in the Senegal River Basing The lack of comprehensive scientific data and access to existing data is only one barrier to responsible decision making in formulating a sustainable development plan for the SRB. As noted earlier, the objectives of the OMVS in building the two dams on the river was to improve navigability, provide irrigation water 2{ Based on a presentation by Kristine McElwee, formerly of the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA, and now with the National Ocean Service Pacific Services Center.
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From page 29... ...
Many negative effects of the dams' construction were either unanticipated or underestimated. In the SRB "sustainable development" was heavily weighted toward technological improvements that would help propel Senegal, Mali, and Mauritania into the first world, with relatively less regard for the impact on indigenous social values and structures.
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