Tap big data to fight floods and droughts in Africa

About this time last year, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe were reeling fromCyclone Idai，严重flood. Zimbabwe is currently facing the opposite: a毁灭性的干旱，使数百万人无力和饥饿的边缘。

Such water extremes are not new in Sub-Saharan Africa but they are likely to become more frequent and more intense in the years ahead, as rising temperatures makeclimate change适应生命或死亡问题。

It is no longer possible to prepare for the traditional wet and dry seasons of the past. As Zimbabwe has found out, one year could bring unprecedented storms while the next brings recordwater缺乏。

Hope in big data

相反，非洲的最大希望可能以大的形式出现data, and monitoring water resources so that countries can take more informed decisions to better weather the storm and survive the drought.

今年的世界水日（3月22日）落在今天（3月22日），着重于水和气候变化如何与之息息相关。尤其是津巴布韦的旋风IDAI的破坏性影响，提供了一个生动的例子，说明了气候变化如何与水的丰度和稀缺性联系在一起。

“It is no longer possible to prepare for the traditional wet and dry seasons of the past.”

克劳迪娅·萨德夫（Claudia Sadoff），国际水管理学院

And when it comes to adapting to climate change,knowledge是力量，这就是为什么一项新的计划来收集大陆范围内有关水的信息可能会改变游戏规则的原因。

卫星图像平台称为数字地球非洲以前曾关注森林等土地资源。但是现在它将汇总遥感技术的数据，该技术将允许国际水管理研究所（IWMI）的科学家开发应用程序，以详细分析大陆范围内的水位和供应。

至关重要的是，这些信息将在Open Data Cube,一个开源资源地球observation data, which will give unprecedented levels of access to information on the situation across Africa.

利用水资源信息

By pooling this information and making it publicly available, it will be possible to create an accurate picture of water resources to forecast shortages and water needs, and develop strategies to manage water-related climate risks.

例如，此类数据已收集数十年，并且等于巨大的能力，将允许governmentsto assess, monitor and report on water resource availability and use, and to balance water allocations across different sectors includingbeplay下载官网西西软件和health.

它还将帮助IWMI诸如IWMI的科学家开发极端情况模型，使当局能够采取“预防胜于治疗”方法。

除了水的会计外，国际水管理研究所（IWMI）研究人员还将能够利用数据来创建洪水和干旱模型，然后可以用来开发预警系统，而不仅仅是在县或地区，而且更广泛地区。

When Cyclone Idai struck, it impacted an area from the coast of central Mozambique beyond the Zimbabwe border and the southern tip of Malawi, all requiring different levels of response but which could have benefitted from greater coordination across the region.

“It is vital that we work together to develop systems to manage and secure water resources, allowing countries across Africa to thrive.”

克劳迪娅·萨德夫（Claudia Sadoff），国际水管理学院

同样，这场灾难导致了Zambesi和Limpopo河流的洪水，这些河流贯穿包括博茨瓦纳在内的多个国家。通过更好地使用区域数据，这些气候disasters可以处理和处理在一个更加团结的佤邦呢y at a large scale.

新系统将旨在充分注意即将到来的极端情况，以便家庭可以撤离面临洪水或风暴的地区，或者对与干旱相关的保险的要求。

这些应用程序将在某些国家 /地区推出，以期为整个非洲大陆开发其他服务并将其扩展。

Supporting African-grown innovations

Finally, beyond developing applications and working with partners, the IMWI also sees enormous potential to support African-grown innovations to develop water-related tools that benefit countries, communities and businesses.

尽管非洲的数据科学，初创企业和数字化社区越来越多，但新数据的潜力之间也存在鸿沟技术to improve water resource management in Africa and the realities of their limited application on the ground.

为了实现其诺言并帮助建立极端水的韧性，该项目还需要克服采用障碍，例如使用数据的意识，专业知识和成本。

But given that water is so intrinsically linked to climate change and impacts food, economic and social security, it is vital that we work together to develop系统管理和保护水资源，使整个非洲国家蓬勃发展。

在气候变化引起的紧急情况下，例如洪水和干旱，有效管理的工具和技术可能是下沉和游泳之间的区别。

克劳迪娅·萨德夫（Claudia Sadoff）is the director-general of the International Water Management Institute. She can be reached at c.sadoff@cgiar.org

这件作品由Scidev.net的撒哈拉以南非洲英语桌子制作。