Bridging scales and borders on water availability and use in the transboundary Volta River Basin: A water accounting approach

IF 4.7 2区地球科学 Q1 WATER RESOURCES

Journal of Hydrology-Regional Studies Pub Date : 2025-04-19 DOI:10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102377

Afua Owusu , Komlavi Akpoti , Mansoor Leh , Tharindu Perera , Lahiru Madushanka , Kirubel Mekonnen , Primrose Tinonetsana , Noosha Tayebi , Ana Cecilia Escalera-Rodriguez , Rafatou Fofana , Naga Manohar Velpuri

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Study region

Volta Basin

Study focus

Water management in transboundary basins is challenging due to the interaction of natural and human factors across political borders. The Volta River Basin, shared by six West African countries, exemplifies this with variable water distribution and socio-economic pressures. This study presents a comprehensive multi-scale water accounting of the basin, assessing water flows and usage at basin-wide, sub-basin, and riparian country scales from 2003 to 2021.

New hydrological insights for the region

The results reveal average basin closure is 55 % with room for additional water allocation given that utilizable water in the basin is 20 km³/year and almost 25 % of the basin’s exploitable water is non-recoverable water (wastewater). Sub-basin analysis showed variations in average annual rainfall, ranging from 940 to 1250 mm/year, and groundwater recharge rates (18–64 mm/year), with southern sub-basins receiving more rainfall and having higher recharge rates. Similarly at the country level, variability in rainfall (630–1220 mm/year) and recharge rates (20–280 mm/year) were noted, with downstream countries benefiting from higher rainfall and significant inflows from upstream countries. The analysis underscored the interconnectedness of water use across the basin's riparian countries. The study's findings give insights for the strategic management of water resources and the crucial need for enhanced cooperation among riparian countries to address shared challenges and opportunities in the Volta Basin.

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跨界沃尔特河流域水可用性和利用的桥接尺度和边界：一种水会计方法

研究区域volta盆地研究重点由于跨政治边界的自然和人为因素的相互作用，跨国界流域的水管理具有挑战性。六个西非国家共有的沃尔特河流域就是一个例子，它的水资源分配和社会经济压力各不相同。本研究对该流域进行了全面的多尺度水核算，评估了2003年至2021年流域、子流域和河岸国家尺度的水流和利用情况。研究结果表明，考虑到流域可利用水量为20 km3/年，流域平均截流率为55 %，还有额外的水资源分配空间，而且流域可利用水的近25 %是不可回收水（废水）。子流域年平均降雨量变化范围为940 ~ 1250 mm/年，地下水补给率变化范围为18 ~ 64 mm/年，其中南部子流域降水较多，补给率较高。同样，在国家一级，注意到降雨量（630-1220 毫米/年）和补给率（20-280 毫米/年）的变化，下游国家受益于较高的降雨量和上游国家的大量流入。该分析强调了流域沿岸国家用水的相互关联性。该研究的结果为水资源的战略管理以及加强沿岸国家之间合作以应对沃尔特盆地共同挑战和机遇的迫切需要提供了见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Hydrology-Regional Studies Earth and Planetary Sciences-Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)

CiteScore

6.70

自引率

8.50%

发文量

284

审稿时长

60 days

期刊介绍： Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies publishes original research papers enhancing the science of hydrology and aiming at region-specific problems, past and future conditions, analysis, review and solutions. The journal particularly welcomes research papers that deliver new insights into region-specific hydrological processes and responses to changing conditions, as well as contributions that incorporate interdisciplinarity and translational science.