HydroSOS Lake Victoria Basin 2nd Technical Workshop

Following the end of the HydroSOS pilot phase, HydroSOS end-of-pilot-phase report was approved in Cg-EXT (2021), the way forward is to start implementing and operationalizing HydroSOS globally through regional implementation plans led by Regional Association (RAs). The HydroSOS regional implementation plans were approved, and initial products presented during the WMO Cg-19 (2023).

 

In RA I (Africa), the implementations of HydroSOS is ongoing in Ghana, Lake Victoria Basin (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda), and Nigeria. In November 2022, a Lake Victoria Basin HydroSOS Implementation Workshop was held with the aim to convene key NMHS experts and stakeholders from LVB to kick-start the development of HydroSOS products for the basin, develop an implementation roadmap for submission to potential funders, define HydroSOS activity to be covered under the project CREWS East Africa, and facilitate partnerships towards the implementation of HydroSOS in LVB.  The major outcome of the workshop was an implementation road map with the following key activities to be for Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems (CREWS) East Africa project:

  • Status Assessments for each Country (assessment of current products including stock taking of the availability and quality of Hydrological data)
  • Data gathering, Primary data processing and development of bulletins (Collection & Analysis of Stream flow)
  • Generation of draft Product (draft status and outlook assessment), Bulletins
  • Technical Meetings / Workshops (validate the draft product)
  • Engagement with Focal Points and Technical
  • Training and capacity development in NHMSs and relevant institutions including data processing and quality control
  • Standardized methodology HydroSOS Streamflow Status Product Methodology

The technical workshop is planned taking into account this background and the positive progress in the implementation of activities by the participating Member states and regional partners IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Center (ICPAC), Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC), and Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) with support of the technical development partner UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH).

The  HydroSOS Lake Victoria Basin Technical Training Workshop aims to equip the national and regional experts with the necessary skills needed to pre-process data, develop products, and lay strategies for operationalization and sustainability of HydroSOS at national, regional, and global scales. The training workshop will also be connected back-to-back with a two-day HydroSOS-OUTLAST Stakeholder Engagement Workshop (led by German government’s OUTLAST project team) to be held in the same venue with the aim to identify the needs of key groups for global early warning system for drought hazards in various water-related sectors and the linkages  to HydroSOS in the basin for the benefit of the LVB Member States and the region.            

 

Goals and Objectives

The following are the training workshops main objectives

  • Develop capacity to process data and produce hydrological status products at a national scale
  • Creating trust of national stakeholders for national, regional, and international HydroSOS data. Involvement of the user community at the national level enhances participation and trust for the products and the development process.
  • Creating regional ownership of the products through collective participation in the development process. Ownership of the national stakeholders shall be enhanced, which contributes towards the long term sustainability of the products.
  • To equip the participants with skills for integrating and visualizing products at national, regional, global scales through web services               
  • Finalizing a strategy to operationalize and sustain HydroSOS at basin (Lake Victoria Basin) and national scale to support EW4ALL       
  • Identify the needs of key groups (users, stakeholders, funders, NMHS) to drive the integration of products from OUTLAST project (aims to develop global early warning system for drought hazards in various water-related sectors) to HydroSOS portals for the benefit of the LVB Member States and the region as a whole        

 

AGENDA

Day 1:

Time (EAT)

Activity

Responsible

Moderator/Faciltator

8:30 – 9:00

Registration


NBI


NBI

9:00 - 9:30

Opening Session

Kenya

ICPAC

NBI

WMO

Kenya
 


Kenya HA

9:30 – 10:00

Introductions

All participants

Kenya HA
 

10:00 - 10:30

HydroSOS Context (Setting the scene), Q&A

WMO

ICPAC
 

10:30 - 11:00

Tea Break


 


 

11:00 - 12:00

Group discussion on existing issues faced during the status exercise

All


WMO


12:00 - 13:00

Discussions on solutions to handle data gaps, accessibility, standardization of methods, WHOS

All


WMO

13:00 - 14:00

Lunch


 


 

14:00 - 17:00


 

 

Basic R, Run scripts with already prepared data

 

 

 

UKCEH, WMO, Outlast team


ICPAC

 


 

Day 2:


 

Time (EAT)

Activity

Responsible

Moderator/Faciltator

8:30 - 10:30


 

 

Preparation of data for day 2 based on previous discussions

All participants

Grouped into countries

UKCEH
 

10:30 - 11:00

Tea Break


 


 

11:00 - 13:00

 

Working with pre-processed data to produce status products at the national scale

All participants

Grouped into countries

UKCEH and WMO

13:00 - 14:00

Lunch


 


 

14:00 - 15:30


 

Working with pre-processed data to produce status products for Mara and Kagera Basins

All participants

Groups into sub basins (led by focal points)


UKCEH and WMO

15:30 - 17:00

Presentation of the results for the basins and countries

Focal points

UKCEH and WMO
 


 

Day 3


 

Time (EAT)

Activity

Responsible

Moderator/Facilitator

8:30:00 - 10:30

Reviewing visualization outputs and finalizing status products

 

UKCEH and All participants
 

WMO
 

10:30 - 11:00

Tea Break


 


 

11:00 - 13:00

Gaps in visualization, intended dissemination methods, examples

UKCEH, ICPAC, NBI, LVBC, OUTLAST team, Countries


WMO

13:00 - 14:00

Lunch


 


 

14:00 - 15:30

Presentation on the portal and types ofdata, standards, and formats

UKCEH

TMA
 

15:30 - 17:00

Pushing data to the test global portal

UKCEH

WMO



 

Day 4

 

Time (EAT)

Activity

Responsible

Moderator/Faciltator

8:30 - 9:30

Wrap up

UKCEH and WMO
 

ICPAC
 

09:30 - 10:30

Discussing the strategy to make the status operational (basin and national scale)

All

Coordinators of sub basins

10:30 - 11:00

Tea Break


 


 

11:00 - 13:00

Finalizing a strategy to make the status operational (basin and national scale)

All
 

Coordinators of sub basins
 

13:00 - 14:00

Lunch


 



 

14:00 - 15:00

Next steps - Outlook, funding strategy

All
 

LVBC
 

15:00 - 15:30

Presentation of the results so far

UKCEH
 

Basin coordinator
 

15:00 - 16:00

Tea break


 


 

16:00 - 16:45

Closing

All HAs present

Partners

WMO

Kenya

NBI