WaterQ2: Understanding Water Quality and Quantity in the Limpopo Basin

The basin is home to 18 million people, with a diverse range of industries, including urban businesses, agriculture, and mining. The region is characterized by heterogeneous rainfall patterns, with some sub-basins receiving less than 400 mm annually, while others receive over 750 mm. The basin has experienced severe droughts in the last decade, and there is a need for improved data collection, validation, and management of water resources. The goal of this project is to build resilience through the support of basin stakeholders, including The Limpopo Watercourse Commission (LIMCOM), to improve governance around water resources management and water security in the basin. A systems approach, such as integrated water resources management (IWRM), is necessary to address the complex, large, and interrelated components of water resources. IWRM is recommended by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Water and Development Strategy Implementation Guide (2014). The project aims to support water resources monitoring, and the development of methods for water quality and quantity measurement based on in situ sensors and satellite measurements. These measurements will enable characterization of water resource dynamics at the whole basin scale and form the foundation for hydrologic modeling that can help estimate hard-to-measure parameters and provide holistic assessments of basin-scale stocks and flows. To support data sharing, the project will use cloud-based, automated data collection and web-based data sharing. The project will also provide training, workshops, and conferences focused on integrated water resources management (IWRM) and environmental flow analysis. The results of the water resources and biodiversity studies conducted will be compiled into a report for the basin stakeholders. Continued high-quality data collection, training, and general logistics depend on dependable physical infrastructure. To support data collection efforts as well as training and collaboration, the Limpopo Resilience Lab at the University of Venda will be established. Student research has continued during this quarter under the supervision of the PIs. Water resources monitoring will continue with remote sensing (satellites) and ground-based stations that are equipped with telemetry devices. However, not all instruments are compatible with telemetry or placed in an area with available communications, resulting in lost data from those instruments. The South African Department of Water and Sanitation requested that the R training course be offered again to their hydrologists, which was successfully delivered. The project plans to support networking between basin scientists and the global academic community by sponsoring side events and presentations at the Water and Health Conference at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The conference is completely online from 04-08 October 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the ability to travel to and around the basin, with the United States Department of State issuing a warning for South Africa on 06 July 2021. Data from stations established in this project continue to be monitored remotely and by staff in South Africa. Data are now available through the project website and hosted on the Development Data Library (DDL, data.usaid.gov). Data from telemetry sites were updated this quarter. Researchers have been granted extended use from Planet Labs through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to access satellite data for river discharge records. Researchers continue to develop remote sensing water quality with Landsat through Google Earth Engine. Calibration data were obtained through collaborations with the Department of Water and Sanitation, South Africa, and the project plans to work with the scientists responsible for these data at the next travel opportunity. Researchers are modeling groundwater recharge zones based on precipitation, river flow, and known geographical parameters throughout the region, especially in the Soutpansburg Mountains. Satellite-based measurements include data from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and the European Space Agency's (ESA) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission.