Evaporation loss along the Calueque-Oshakati Canal in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin (Northern Namibia): evidence from stable isotopes and hydrochemistry.

Since 1973, Kunene River water has been carried from the Calueque reservoir in Angola along a 160 km open concrete canal to the town of Oshakati in the central part of the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin and has been supplying drinking water to the most densely populated rural area of Namibia. Despite its importance for the region, intra-seasonal water quality and the technical condition of the canal are not routinely checked. Water samples were collected during four field campaigns right before the onset of the rainy season (November 2013 and 2014), and after the rainy season (June 2014 and May 2015), at 16 sites along the canal for stable water isotopes (deuterium, oxygen-17 and oxygen-18) and hydrochemical analyses.

Partitioning of Water Between Differently Sized Shrubs and Potential Groundwater Recharge in a Semiarid Savanna in Namibia.

Many semiarid regions around the world are presently experiencing significant changes in both climatic conditions and vegetation. This includes a disturbed coexistence between grasses and bushes also known as bush encroachment, and altered precipitation patterns with larger rain events. Fewer, more intense precipitation events might promote groundwater recharge, but depending on the structure of the vegetation also encourage further woody encroachment.

Observed controls on resilience of groundwater to climate variability in sub-Saharan Africa.

Groundwater in sub-Saharan Africa supports livelihoods and poverty alleviation, maintains vital ecosystems, and strongly influences terrestrial water and energy budgets. Yet the hydrological processes that govern groundwater recharge and sustainability-and their sensitivity to climatic variability-are poorly constrained. Given the absence of firm observational constraints, it remains to be seen whether model-based projections of decreased water resources in dry parts of the region are justified.

Stable isotope signatures of meteoric water in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin, Namibia: Seasonal characteristics, trends and relations to southern African patterns.

The study area is the Namibian part of the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin (CEB), located in central northern Namibia. The CEB is home to 40 % of Namibia's population, and most of the people live in rural areas. These people depend on both surface and groundwater resources which are limited in this dryland (mean annual rainfall ranging from 250 to 550 mm/a).