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Master of Water Resources

Hydrology of Rivers and Lakes​ in Africa

(RES 501)

First Term 2024/2025 (Fall)

 

 

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INTRODUCTION:

Throughout the world, water is recognized as the most fundamental of all natural resources.  Water sets earth apart from all other known planets. The Earth is dominated by water. Earth is sometimes known as watery planet.   Oceans cover approximately 71% or 360 million km2 of the Earth's surface. Other places are covered with seas, rivers, lakes, swamps, glaciers, ponds, streams, swamps and marches. But water also exists in the air as water vapor and in the ground as soil moisture and in aquifers as groundwater.

Study of water resources can be divided into physical, chemical and biological divisions.  This first part of this course will be focused on studying of principals of hydrogeology including global water cycle, geological control, discharge, erosion, deposition, dams, water quality, pollution and modern methods in studying hydrogeology are essential lecture topics. Without a detailed knowledge of water flow patterns it is impossible to design rational development plans for using water resources. The second part deals with the most important water resources in Africa such as the main river basins, the major lakes, wetlands, and groundwater and the coastal areas in Africa.

 

Objectives: 

The main objective of the course "Hydrology of Rivers and Lakes in Africa"  is to understand the basic terms of hydrology, hydrogeology, global water cycle, water budget, geologic factors controlling rivers and lakes, origin and characteristics of some African water bodies and their related deposits such as deltas, alluvial fans, flood plains, and economic mineral deposits.

 

Teaching Materials:

 

Class notes handout to assist students on hydrology of rivers and lakes in Africa.

Lecture presentations in PowerPoint in class.

Lecture presentations in pdf in the web site.

  • Nile Basin Water Resources Atlas (2016), NBI.

  • Tarbuck, E.J., and Lutgens, F.K., 2016, Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology, 12th ed., Prentice Hall, New Jaersy, 876p.

  • Dumont, H. J., ed., 2009, Origin, Environments, Limnology and Human Use, Series: Monographiae Biologicae, Vol. 89.

  • Frenken, K., ed., 2005, Irrigation in Africa in figures AQUASTAT Survey. FAO:   ftp://ftp.fao.org/agl/aglw/docs/wr29_eng.pdf

  • Shahin, M. 2002, Hydrology and Water Resources of Africa (Water Science and Technology Library), Kluwer Academic Publishers, New York, 659 p.

 

Grading:

   Mid Term Exam (Nov. 24, 2024) ................   10%

   Term paper (Due Dec. 22, 2024)  ................   10% (How to write term paper in pdf)

   Oral Exam (Due Dec. 22, 2022) ....….........    10%

   Final Exam ……….......................……........   70%

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Tentative LECTURE Schedule:

   

Main lecture topics:  

 

  • TENTATIVE LECTURE SCHEDULE:

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  • Introduction, Water budget, Africa (presentation in pdf)

  • Freshwater resources and scarcity 

  • Water in Egypt_Hydrology of the Nile (presentation in pdf) (Video)

  • Rivers 

  • Geologic history of the Nile 

  • Rivers in Africa f)

  • Congo River 

  • Origin of Lakes I  

  • Origin of Lakes II  

  • East African Rift 

  • ​Ethiopian lakes

  • Eastern Rift lakes

  • Western Rift lakes

  • Median lakes

  • Chad Lake

  • Geology of Ethiopia

  • GERD

  • Agreements 

  •                                                                          Last Updated on Oct. 13, 2024

 

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