event 02 Apr 2019 time 00:00 04 Apr 2019 time 00:00

Conference // Water Storage and Hydropower Development for Africa

The connection of energy and water is most obvious in electricity generation through hydropower. Plus dams have an important impact on the environemtn, on water availability upstream and downstream, and thus on food production and food security. The AFRICA 2019 conference will bring together industry professionals in Namibia, a country with a variety of dams, to discuss water and energy issues relevant to Africa.

Logo africa2019 hydropower and water storage

Major multipurpose water resources schemes, including many large regional hydro projects, are moving ahead in Africa at an unprecedented rate. A status update, potential and development opportunities, as well as technical, environmental and financial challenges, covering all regions of the African continent, will be the focus of the presentations and discussions.

Where and when

Safari Court Congress Centre,
Windhoek
Namibia

2-4 April 2019

Nexus Session

Session 16 // Sustainable water storage to meet water, food and energy development goals

(Convened by UN-IHE, Delft)

Storage to stabilize water availability is essential to sustain water, food and energy production, reduce hazards, and adapt to climate change. Regulation of water resources using dams and reservoirs played a major role in the socio-economic development of northern countries during the 20th century, but practices of the time often led to undesired environmental and social impacts. More dams and reservoirs are planned for for the next decades, and there is a concern that such impacts could be repeated. Analysis of, and debate on, the approaches to sustainable multipurpose storage, definition of environmental flows, sedimentary management, ecology continuity, and socio -economic, among others, is needed. Targeted development outcomes include improved catchment management for water, food, and energy security that is socially and environmentally sustainable, contribing to Agenda 2030.

The session will bring together engineers, scholars and scientists, with a common interest in the planning and design of dams and reservoirs and on the evaluation and of their undesirable effects.

This session is promoted within the framework of a thematic research programme on Sustainable Hydropower and Multipurpose Storage to meet Water, Food, and Energy Development Goals: A Program for Collaborative Research and Innovation, supported by the Programmatic Cooperation between the Directorate-General for International Cooperation of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and IHE Delft in the period 2016 - 2020, The activities are focused in the Irrawaddy Basin of Myanmar, Zambezi Basin of Southern Africa, and Magdalena Basin of Colombia.

Chairman: Dr M. Marence, IHE Delft Institute of Water Education, The Netherlands; L. Ferrini, GIZ, Niger

  • The increase of hydraulic habitat diversity downstream of dams with sediment replenishment and artifical flooding ̶ S. Stähly and Prof A.J. Schleiss, EPFL-LCH;M.J. Franca, IHE Delft, The Netherlands; C.T. Robinson, EAWAG, Switzerland; D. Tonolla and M. Döring, Zurich University of Sciences, Switzerland
  • When can local knowledge reduce vulnerability? Insights from multipurpose infrastructure in the Niger basin ̶ L. Ferrini, GIZ, Niger; N. Van Caugwenbergh, IHE Delft, The Netherlands
  • Hydro plants in remote areas of Mozambique: The impact of rural electrification provided by mini grids ̶ M.M. Uamusse, Lund University, Sweden and Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique; C. Nhantumbo, E. Pondja and K.M. Persso, Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique
  • Holistic methodologies for the estimation of environmental flows in Colombia from a comparative perspective ̶ Y. Rodríguez and G. Santos, Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito, Colombia; G. Corzo, IHE, The Netherlands; H. Angarita, Stockholm Environment Institute, SEI Colombia; J. Delgado, The Nature Conservancy, Colombia
  • Assessment of environmental flows in the Myitnge river basin, Myanmar ̶ Su Su Hlaing, Cho Cho Thin Kyi, Yangon Technological University, Myanmar

Conference Programme

More information

Conference website

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