WP3. Mapping soil water availability and its sensitivity to rainfall pattern
© Jean-François Gillet
Water availability
depends on (a
) soil type and soil properties, (b
) spatial variability of rainfall and water table depth, and (c
) temporal fluctuations of rainfall pattern and water table depth.
The distribution pattern of soil types in the Congo Basin has often been described but the classifications used are heterogeneous. Rainfall patterns (1600 to 1700 mm/year
, one 3- to 4-month dry season
) show weak spatial, but strong temporal variation. At the regional scale, the water table depth mainly depends on geology and distance to the nearest river.
Activities
- Map the distribution pattern of soil types and their storage capacity by synthesizing and harmonising existing soil classifications into the international soil classification system, and by combining them with information on geology and geomorphology.
- Map water table depth.
- Map soil water availability by combining these maps with mean rainfall pattern.
- Follow, at selected sites, the hydrological regime of the nearest river, the fluctuations of the water table depth and the temporal variation of soil water availability.
Expected results
7 Apr 2009