• SANCOLD and ICOLD

• Dams and Hydrological Information

• Role of DWS

• Status of Official Rainfall and Gauging Stations

• Data gathering, Processing & Dissemination

• Role of External Organisations

• Economic Aspects of Hydrological Information

• Conclusions

• Hydrology Centre: SANCOLD Viewpoint

Dialogue on a hydrology centre for SA-June 2016

• ICOLD-forum for exchange of knowledge & experience in dam engineering, construction & operation at international level

• Founded 1928

• 96 Member Countries, 30 000 professionals

• SANCOLD represents SA on ICOLD

• SANCOLD hosted ICOLD meeting in 2016

Dialogue on a hydrology centre for SA-June 2016

Full spectrum of hydrological information is req’d for the proper management & development of SA WR • Planning of water resource projects; • Operation of systems of dams; • Drought management; • Floods (dam safety, emergency operation,

floodplain developments and management); • Determination of environmental flows; • Water quality management; • Water allocations and regulation of water use; • International rivers

Dialogue on a hydrology centre for SA-June 2016

• Minister is “public trustee of the nation's WR”

• Legislated role of DWS re hydrological information (Chapter 14 of the NWA)

• DWS- 320 large dams (87% storage all dams in SA)

• 5000 registered dams in SA

• DWS key role in hydrological monitoring via 9 Regional Offices

Dialogue on a hydrology centre for SA-June 2016

Status of Official Rainfall and Flow Gauging Stations

Dialogue on a hydrology centre for SA-June 2016

0

500

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1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Nu

mb

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f S

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Year (CCYY)

0

50

100

150

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1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Nu

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Year (CCYY)

Rainfall Flow Gauging

• Should ideally form one continuous process and should not be separated

• What do other org/countries do? Eg USGS

• Closure of CCWR – financial sustainability?

Dialogue on a hydrology centre for SA-June 2016

• Water Research Commission

• Universities

• Donor Agencies

Dialogue on a hydrology centre for SA-June 2016

Costs, benefits and funding • Dam failure

Spitskop Dam Failure 1981

Damage R billions (probability of occurrence, no of dams)

Dialogue on a hydrology centre for SA-June 2016

• Flood damage – R billions, lives lost (WRC data)

Laingsburg 1981

Dialogue on a hydrology centre for SA-June 2016

• Inadequate WR planning-R billions

• Unnecessary WR development- R 100 millions

• Water quality- R 100 millions

• Positive benefits of hydro info & analayses

- Vaal River System

- Drought 1980’s

- Model development

- R10 m (1980’s) recovered in 1 year!

Dialogue on a hydrology centre for SA-June 2016

Economic Aspects of Hydrological Information

Dialogue on a hydrology centre for SA-June 2016

• Data gathering & dissemination should not be separated

• Benefits-costs of hydro information

• The primary responsibility for data gathering, processing & dissemination of water resource information (hydrological etc) rests with DWS as the custodian of the nation’s water resources. Resourcing.

• Long-term sustainability

• Donor funding-modernisastion

• Rainfall information-SAWS

Dialogue on a hydrology centre for SA-June 2016

• Why a dedicated national centre?

• SANCOLD considers that responsibility for hydrological information gathering, processing and dissemination should remain with DWS

-Re-evaluate institutional structure?

-Resourcing (funding, HR (tech/prof))

-Resolve rainfall issue with SAWS

• Support from WRC and Donors to upgrade systems

Dialogue on a hydrology centre for SA-June 2016