Main description:

Africa is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In particular shortage of fresh water is expected to be the dominant water problem for West and Northwest Africa of the 21th century. In order to solve present and projected future problems concerning fresh water supply, a highly interdisciplinary approach is used in the book. Strategies are offered for a sustainable and future-oriented water management. Based on different scenarios, a range of management options is suggested with the aid of Information Systems and Spatial Decision Support Systems for two river catchments in Northwest and West Africa: the wadi Draa in south-eastern Morocco and the Oueme basin in Benin. The selected catchments are representative in the sense: "what can be learnt from these catchments for other similar catchments?

Contents:

Part I
Fundamentals and process understanding, 1. Introduction, 2. Impacts of Global Change, 3. Regional Geography of West and Northwest Africa: An Introduction, 4. Measurement Concepts, 5. Atmosphere, 6. Continental Hydrosphere, 7. Biosphere, 8. Anthrosphere, 9. Summary
Part II
Future Projections and Decision support, 1. Introduction: The IMPETUS method, 2. The IMPETUS Spatial Decision Support Systems, 3. Scenarios, 4. Impacts of Global Change in Benin, 5. Impacts of Global Change in Southern Morocco, 6. Summary and Conclusions