The entire wetland of Machar Marshes depends on the hydrology of the Baro Akobo Sobat (BAS) sub-basin. The sizes of the wetlands vary with floods and the rain seasons but they store lots of water which could run off before being used by the ecosystems. They hold up water through various wetland pathways while they create ecosystem hotspots for unique biodiversity. This ecosystem is dependent on the hydrology, hence, developments which might alteration water flow regimes and water quality are likely to affect the wetlands and the ecosystem found in the BAS.
Actual services provided by our staff within the assignment:
Service provided include a desk study, baseline assessments, water resources analysis and conducting workshops as well as capacity building and training. Works are based on fieldworks in the Machar system conducted by HYDROC prior to the project, and include data collection and compilation, watershed schematization based on commercial DEM products, wetland delineation based on remote sensing data as well as the development of a water balance model as well as 2D hydraulic model for detailed analysis of spill mechanisms and flow patterns in the Machar Marshes. Results are used to refine the previously conducted MWRD study and to generate and assess future development options/scenarios with a view to balance development with wetland conservation and climate change, as well as to determine environmental flow requirements and to derive recommendations for wetland monitoring of both hydrology parameters and ecosystem services.
Name of client: Eastern Nile Technical Regional Office (ENTRO)
Start date (month/year): 09/2019
Completion date (month/year): 05/2020