HYCOS Projects

The Arctic-HYCOS project aims to improve the monitoring of freshwater fluxes into the Arctic Ocean for better climate predictions in the Northern Hemisphere. The project serves as a vital platform for the regular collection and free exchange of Arctic hydrological data among all participants. Main activities include evaluating, maintaining and potentially upgrading existing observational stations.

Network Analysis allow identifying observational stations suitable to evaluate freshwater flux to the Arctic Ocean and Seas and to study changes in Arctic hydrological regimes relative to climate change.

The objective of the Carib-HYCOS project was to reduce the loss of human life and material damage caused by natural disasters, through the introduction of modern flood forecasting and warning systems, thus enhancing natural disaster mitigation capabilities. Furthermore, the project aimed at supporting sustainable development and integrated management of water, based on an improved knowledge base of water resources, both as regards quantity, quality and use, resulting in a strengthening of water management capabilities of participating countries.

The objective of the Congo-HYCOS project is the establishment of a mechanism that would enable the modernization of observation and telecommunication networks on the one hand, and the strengthening of partner countries’ NMHSs capacities in terms of data exploitation and translation into information that could help improving water resources management an utilization capacity, on the other hand. This includes navigation issues and the exploitation of the exceptional hydroelectric potential available in the basin.

The overall goal of the Hindu Kush Himalaya-HYCOS project was to contribute to protect lives, livelihoods, property of vulnerable communities, and infrastructure by enhancing flood risk management capacity in the region. For that purpose, the project aimed at establishing a framework for regional cooperation that ensured efficient collection and real-time transmission of hydrometeorological data and the sharing of information for integrated hydrological information systems and aspects of transboundary flood management within the Indus river basins.

The objective of the IGAD-HYCOS project was to promote sustainable and integrated water resources development and management in the Horn of Africa through enhancement of regional cooperation and collaboration in the collection, analysis, dissemination and exchange of hydrometeorological data and information for water resources assessment, monitoring and management. For that purpose the project aimed at providing adequate capacity building and infrastructure for hydrological observation and regional cooperation in information exchange among the participating countries.

The objective of the Lake Chad-HYCOS project, which is yet to be funded is to provide the Lake Chad Basin Commission and its member countries with resources, tools and skills to efficiently monitor and manage their water resources. A network of national hydrological observing systems providing coherent quality information, transmitted in almost real time to national and regional databases will be established. Furthermore, the technical and institutional capacities of the NMHSs will be strengthened in the area of hydrological data collection and processing, responding to the needs of end users through the provision of relevant hydrological information.

The objectives of the Med-HYCOS project were to achieve:

1. Modernization of hydrometeorological monitoring in the Mediterranean Basin;
2. Pooling of resources for data processing in combination with satellite data;
3. A better understanding of hydrometeorological phenomena and environmental trends; and
4. The free exchange of environmental data.

In developmental and economic terms the project provided a firm basis for water resources monitoring, assessment and management at both national and regional levels, and contributed to knowledge of hydrological processes in their interaction with the climate and environment.

The objective of Mekong-HYCOS was to establish and operate a real-time flood information system in the Mekong basin with Cambodia, Lao, Thailand and Vietnam as participating countries. Therefore, the project contributed to the consolidation of the technical and institutional capacities of the NMHSs in the partner countries, as well as to the reinforcement of the hydrometeorological observing networks, that provide timely information of consistent quality, transmitted in real time to national and regional databases.

The objective of the Niger-HYCOS project was to establish a system of useful information on water resources at the basin level fed with recent, high-quality data easily accessible to all user groups, with a particular emphasis on the use of the the newest communication tools provided by the emerging internet technology. The project aimed at strengthening technical and institutional capacity within the NMHSs of the partner Countries, enhance hydrological observing networks, in particular by making use of a range of telemetering technology, encourage the development of national and regional databases and data exchange, promote regional cooperation and organize appropriate professional training programmes.

Building on its previous phases, the objective of the second phase of the Pacific-HYCOS project is to provide the region with a range of hydrological products. Flash flood forecasting products as well as groundwater products  will be delivered through Internet-based telemetry and data delivery systems. Furthermore, new technologies will be introduced to extend data collection beyond previous limitations. The second phase of the Pacific-HYCOS project that is currently under preparation is one of the HYCOS projects designed in alignment with the new WHYCOS strategy and will kick-start when funding is identified.

The objective of the SADC-HYCOS project was to improve regional cooperation, in the fields of water resources information, flood and drought management, land management, watershed protection and management of international waters in the countries of the Southern African Development Community. The project aimed at developing and/or strengthening the national and regional capacity in the fields of water resources monitoring, assessment and management. This called for the provision of water resources data and information in the form needed for decision making on all aspects of integrated water resources development and management.

The objective of the Senegal-HYCOS project is to set up a system of relevant information on all the water resources of the Senegal basin, fed with recent and sound data, and easily accessible to all types of users, especially through leveraging new technologies. Navigation issues and the exploitation of the hydroelectric potential available in the basin will be explored. The Senegal-HYCOS project is one of the HYCOS projects designed in alignment with the new WHYCOS strategy and will kick-start when funding is secured.

The objective of the Volta-HYCOS project was to develop a system of pertinent information on water resources on the Volta Basin, supplied with recent and quality data, with easy access, especially using the newest communication tools provided by the emerging internet technology. Therefore, the project consolidated the technical and institutional capacities of the NMHS in the partner countries, reinforced the hydrological observing networks, in particular through the use of different technological options remote data acquisition, promotion of the development of national and regional data bases and data exchange, fostering regional cooperation and organizing pertinent training programs.