Warning, (in Swedish), level 2, SwedenAbout the project
The research aim of the Niger-HYPE project is to explore the possibility of representing and quantifying the dominant hydrological processes in the Niger River Basin, see figure 1, with the HYPE model.
The methodology is based on a participatory model development process, which combines existing numerical methods with local expert knowledge to create an adapted modelling tool of the basin.
This tool can be used for studying the effects of potential climatic changes and related adaptation strategies, for water resources management, and for operational hydrological warning services in the region.
The development of Niger-HYPE is funded by the SIDA project “Builiding resilience to floods and droughts in the Niger river basin- hydrological predictions for sustainable water user and climate change adaption”, and the EU FP7 project “IMPACT2C”.
About the region of Niger River Basin
The Niger River is West Africa´s largest river, with about 100 million inhabitants within the catchment area. Many of these live in poverty. The area covers nine countries spanning an enormous variety in climate and geography (e.g. the average precipitation ranges from >2000 to <100 mm/year).
The river is an important natural resource, often key for livelihoods, especially in Mali and Niger. In addition, the region has been designated as a particularly sensitive area in terms of climate change impacts.