A review of continent scale hydrological datasets available for Africa

As rainfall becomes less reliable with predicted climate change the ability to assess the spatial and seasonal variations in groundwater availability on a large-scale (catchment and continent) is becoming increasingly important (Bates, et al. 2007; MacDonald et al. 2009). The scarcity of observed hydrological data, or difficulty in obtaining such data, within Africa means remotely sensed (RS) datasets must often be used to drive large-scale hydrological models. The different applicability of RS data in different regions of the world means that the correct datasets must be selected for Africa for accurate hydrological models to be developed. This report provides a review of the main hydrogeological datasets available for Africa to develop and validate continental-scale hydrological models. The review assesses the suitability of each data set specifically for use in Africa. This report feeds into the ‘Groundwater and Environmental Change’ science budget project initiated in 2010 to develop a continental-scale recharge model of Africa, however, the review also forms a general resource for BGS projects in Africa.