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GLOW develops a risk-based forecasting service that helps water managers in Southern Africa plan for water availability under growing drought pressure.
A region under pressure
Southern Africa faces immense water challenges. In Mozambique, Eswatini and South Africa, persistent drought threatens development, worsens food security and puts increasing pressure on already limited freshwater resources. Climate change is intensifying this water stress and degrading water quality, while population growth and economic development drive up demand.
Reliable, up-to-date information on forecasted water availability is essential for both day-to-day and seasonal water resource management – from planning reservoir inflows and groundwater storage to managing water distribution and safeguarding long-term water security.
Two catchments illustrate this challenge clearly. The Maputo River rises in South Africa and flows through Eswatini before forming part of the border with Mozambique. The Black Mbuluzi originates in the Eswatini highveld and joins the wider Mbuluzi River, which also crosses into Mozambique. Together, these catchments span all three countries, making coordinated, cross-border water management essential.
The ‘Global water availability forecasting service to support water security’ (GLOW) consortium was formed to address this problem.
The objectives
The GLOW project aims to provide timely access to water resources information for sustainable development and water security in the Maputo and Black Mbuluzi river catchments. It is designed for the water authorities in Eswatini, Mozambique and South Africa responsible for water allocation and management decisions in these catchments, as well as the upstream, downstream and environmental users who depend on them. By focusing on reservoirs, soils and groundwater, it supports SDGs 2, 6 and 13. Through GLOW services such as water availability forecasts and distribution advisories, the project strengthens overall water management for these authorities.
The approach
The Mbuluzi and Maputo river basins, with their complex water management challenges and high population density, are ideal for piloting the GLOW services. The project integrates these services into HydroNET – a decision-support platform developed by consortium partner HydroLogic – to analyse the water system and provide risk-based seasonal forecasts of water supply failures. Using hydrological models, it enables integrated water resources planning and simulations of moisture storage and water exchange. A prototype within HydroNET will deliver risk-based seasonal water supply predictions directly to the water authorities in Eswatini, Mozambique and South Africa, supporting their day-to-day and seasonal decision-making. The services are being developed through a co-creation process with these authorities, so the system reflects their needs from the outset.
What makes this project unique is using and combining proven techniques to produce operational water availability and demand, up to several months in advance
The team
The GLOW consortium brings together the expertise of three companies:
- HydroLogic specialises in offering decision support services for water managers through HydroNET. HydroNET enables the implementation of operational rules for water distribution
- FutureWater supports water managers worldwide by applying cutting-edge solutions and tools
- Emanti Management offers professional guidance and support in the drinking water, wastewater, and sanitation sectors
Expected outcomes
The anticipated outcomes of this project include:
- Implementation of operational GLOW services tailored to the requirements of water authorities in Eswatini, Mozambique and South Africa
- Successful demonstration and validation of GLOW services with these water authorities
- Trained personnel at partner organisations and water authorities, equipped to apply GLOW services
- Increased awareness among staff and water authorities in Eswatini, Mozambique and South Africa about water security challenges
- A comprehensive understanding of the economic benefits and impacts of GLOW, supported by a business plan
- A plan for scaling up GLOW services for deployment to water authorities in other countries
Why it matters
If successful, GLOW’s approach to forecasting water availability could be scaled up beyond the Maputo and Mbuluzi basins, offering a replicable model for other drought-prone deltas and river basins facing similar pressures from climate change and population growth.
Innovation in Progress series
GLOW features in Partners for Water’s ongoing Innovation in Progress series. Throughout this series, Partners for Water closely follows a selection of projects that have received a Partners for Water subsidy, from start to finish. Over the coming years, these projects will take you with them on their journey of testing the feasibility or application of innovative solutions to enhance water security abroad – including their processes, collaborations with local partners, potential solutions, and the struggles, challenges and lessons learned along the way.
Follow the GLOW journey:
Partners for Water is a Dutch government programme enhancing water security internationally in long-term cooperation with local partners and the Dutch water sector. By facilitating strategic planning and support in the early stages of innovation, the programme aims to contribute to systemic change for sustainable water management and infrastructure. This is how we initiate impactful changes for a better living environment.
