| Abstract |
Wetland monitoring and assessment service for transboundary river basins (WeMAST) is a project
focused on applying the use of earth observation techniques and methods in monitoring the status of
the wetland, and their health overtime.
Assessment and monitoring will be applied on the four majors transboundary basins in the Southern
African Development Corporation region, namely the Cuvelai, Okavango, Limpopo, and Zambezi
basins. The monitoring and assessment will employ the use of earth observation techniques and
methods to assess various phenomenon of wetlands in SADC region. These conditions are monitored
using EO indicators including and not limited to water quality parameters, land use land cover
changes, socio-economic layers (population both human and livestock), water extent, wetland status
among others.
The indicators are majorly categorized into 3, namely the use of the exposure indicators to monitors the
probability of a basin or wetland to be affected by climatic related hazards. The second category is
using sensitivity indicators, assessing the degree to which the basin is affected by hazards, in addition
to using the resilience indicators, that assesses the coping mechanism and capabilities of a river
basin or a wetland against climatic hazards such as famine, drought, and floods.
The combination of these indicators assesses the overall vulnerability of the transboundary basin, in
relation to anthropogenic and natural hazards. The assessment and monitoring encompass the
use of near real time EO outputs that will monitor the health and conditions of wetland, in a bi-annual
mode.
In-season wetland and basin monitoring, will go a long way in aiding the various sets of users, inclusive
of wetland managers, ease their process of wetland management and conservation overtime.
The design is to highlight areas of concern within the river basin, while providing information on the
long-term techniques to reverse degradation effects on the region. |
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