Defining the Angolan Highlands Water Tower, a 40 plus-year precipitation budget of the headwater catchments of the Okavango Delta.

ABSTRACT: Angola is a source of many major rivers in southern Africa and is referred to as the "water tower" of the region. The lack of a defined area delineating the Angolan Highlands water tower (AHWT) limits the conservation of this important freshwater source. This study hydrologically defines the boundary of the AHWT as areas > 1274 m above mean sea level within the Central Bié Plateau of Angola. Using the Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station (CHIRPS) data, this study provides a 41-year precipitation budget of the AHWT and surrounding basins. Between 1981 and 2021, the average annual precipitation over the AHWT was 1112 mm and the gross annual average precipitation volume was approximately 423 km³ over an area of 380,382 km². The AHWT is the southern s

SUBMITTER: Lourenco M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10279584 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature