The Future Okavango (TFO)
Scientific Support for Sustainable Land and Resource Management in the Okavango Basin
The Okavango catchment with the world's largest inland delta is particularly interesting to investigate its regional climate and the hydrological cycle. Here the Okavango River is the main water source for its downstream areas that are characterized by very little precipitation. It originates in the Highland of Bié (up to 2.619 m) and disappears in the sands of the Kalahari Desert. The basins climate is dominated by these changing environmental conditions along the river and by relative high temperatures that lead to more rapid evaporation fluxes. The annual hydrological cycle of the area shows two extremes: Seasonal flooding (from May/June) alternates with dry periods, which results in variable water levels of Okavango River in downstream situated regions.
As the region is strongly characterized by and depends on the water resources of the Okavango River, the possible changes of the climate, affecting all components of the hydrological cycle and thus the lives of the people living in a region of such unique natural characteristics are of uppermost importance and interest.
Book chapter
- Okavango Basin – Climate Weber, T. (2013). In Oldeland, J., Erb, C., Finckh, M. & N. Jürgens (Eds.), Environmental Assessments in the Okavango Region. - Biodiversity & Ecology 5. (pp 15-17). Hamburg, doi: 10.7809/b-e.00237. (ISSN 1613-9801)
- Cusseque – Climate Weber, T. (2013). In Oldeland, J., Erb, C., Finckh, M. & N. Jürgens (Eds.), Environmental Assessments in the Okavango Region. - Biodiversity & Ecology 5. (pp 45-46). Hamburg, doi: 10.7809/b-e.00243. (ISSN 1613-9801)
- Caiundo – Climate Weber, T. (2013). In Oldeland, J., Erb, C., Finckh, M. & N. Jürgens (Eds.), Environmental Assessments in the Okavango Region. - Biodiversity & Ecology 5. (pp 85-86). Hamburg, doi: 10.7809/b-e.00253. (ISSN 1613-9801)
- Mashare – Climate Weber, T. (2013). In Oldeland, J., Erb, C., Finckh, M. & N. Jürgens (Eds.), Environmental Assessments in the Okavango Region. - Biodiversity & Ecology 5. (pp 103-104). Hamburg, doi: 10.7809/b-e.00258. (ISSN 1613-9801)
- Seronga – Climate Weber, T. (2013). In Oldeland, J., Erb, C., Finckh, M. & N. Jürgens (Eds.), Environmental Assessments in the Okavango Region. - Biodiversity & Ecology 5. (pp 133-134). Hamburg, doi: 10.7809/b-e.00266. (ISSN 1613-9801)
Scientific papers
- Assessment of climate dynamics in the Okavango region using high-resolution ERA-40 reanalysis data Weber, T., Helmschrot, J., Berndt, R., & Jacob, D. (2014). Zentralblatt f. Geologie u. Paläontologie, Teil I., Jg. 2014 Heft 1, 171-187. doi: 10.1127/zgpl/2014/0171-0187
- Sensitivity of the hydrological cycle to corrections of the sea surface temperature bias over southern Africa in a regional climate model Weber, T., Haensler, A. & Jacob, D. (2017). Clim. Dyn. doi: 10.1007/s00382-017-4052-8.
Further links
Project Factsheet TFO (1,2 MB)Homepage The Future Okavango-Project TFO-Subproject SP01 - Climate Change in the Okavango region
