Application of a GIS-based decision support system for water resources management in developing countries

This paper describes the adaptation of a GIS-based decision support system, originally developed for water resources management in the UK, as a prototype for use in developing countries. Such tools are increasingly in demand in regions where managing water resources can be a major challenge. Software, data and methods need to be adapted to make the system appropriate for regions with different hydrological regimes, data availability, data quality and user requirements. The flexibility of the decision support system for incorporating these changes is highlighted. Prototype versions of the software are to be released in Malawi, India and Nepal in early 2003. The work is funded by DFID through two projects of the worldwide FRIEND programme in Southern Africa and the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH) regions.