COMMISSION FOR HYDROLOGY (CHy)

1. COMMISSION FOR HYDROLOGY (CHy) Philip D. Munah Ag. Deputy Director Kenya Meteorological Department

2. Mandate of CHy To apply hydrology: • to meet the needs for sustainable development and use of water and related resources; • to the mitigation of water-related disasters; and • to effective environmental management at national and international levels.

3. Structure of CHy • Advisory Working Group • Management role • Open Panels of CHy Experts (OPACHE) • Basic Systems (Hydrometry and Hydraulics) • Water Resources Assessment and Water use • Hydrological Forecasting and Warning • Disaster Mitigation – Floods and Droughts (Hydrological Aspects)  • Analysis of Hydroclimatological Data for Variability and Trends.     • Expert Teams • Established on a project basis.

4. Mainstreaming technical services in national disaster risk management plans supported by legislation • Role and Function of National Hydrological Services – Published October 2006 • Advice/guidance on role and responsibilities of NHSs, including legislative frameworks and disaster prevention and mitigation • Manual on design flood estimation – Final Draft due October 2008 • Best practice guidance – flood magnitude and frequency – hydrological structures, floodplain mapping, etc. • Water Resources Assessment Manual – Final Draft due October 2008 • Best practice guidance – water resources availability - drought related

5. Hazard monitoring, databases and analysis • Assessment of the performance of flow measurement instruments and techniques – Preliminary project proposal • Discharge/flow measurement – analysis of instrument capabilities – preliminary proposal October 2008, project implementation 2009-12 – collaboration with CIMO • Manual on Streamflow Gauging – Final Draft due October 2007 • Best practice guidance – analysis techniques for estimating discharge at a river cross section • Manual on Flood Forecasting and Warning – Final Draft due October 2008 • Flood forecasting guidance, including monitoring and analysis • Manual on Probable Maximum Precipitation – Draft undergoing review – Final Draft October 2008 • Best practice guidance for the estimation of Probable Maximum Precipitation – Should collaborate with CAS

6. Operational hazard early detection and warnings • Manual on Flood Forecasting and Warning – Final Draft due October 2008 • Flood forecasting guidance, including monitoring, forecasting and warning • Manual on design flood estimation – Final Draft due October 2008 • Best practice guidance – flood magnitude and frequency – modeling also related to flood detection • Manual on low flow estimation and prediction – Final Draft due October 2008 • Best practice guidance – low flow magnitude and frequency – drought detection and warning. • Develop improved Quantitative Precipitation Estimate (QPE) techniques at the basin scale, involving multi-sensor approaches • Ongoing workshops/conferences under the WMO Flood Forecasting Initiative – Report to Congress 2007.

7. Meteorological services for pre- and post-disaster response and relief operations • Manual on Flood Forecasting and Warning – Final Draft due October 2008 • Flood forecasting guidance, including message formats and action statements • Manual on design flood estimation – Final Draft due October 2008 • Best practice guidance – flood magnitude and frequency – structures – levees, bridges, floodplain mapping, etc. • Manual on low flow estimation and prediction – Final Draft due October 2008 • Best practice guidance – low flow magnitude and frequency – drought detection and warning – water supply availability.

8. Enhancement and use of NMHSs products and services in decision-making processes through cooperation with other agencies • Manual on Flood Forecasting and Warning – Final Draft due October 2008 • Flood forecasting guidance, including working arrangements with emergency management agencies and input to decision support systems – use of rainfall estimation and prediction from met services • Manual on design flood estimation – Final Draft due October 2008 • Best practice guidance – use of rainfall frequency information from met services, input to floodplain management by authorities. • Manual on low flow estimation and prediction – Final Draft due October 2008 • Best practice guidance – low flow magnitude and frequency – drought detection and warning – water supply availability. • Water Resources Assessment Manual – Final Draft due October 2008 • Best practice guidance – water resources availability - drought related

9. Education and training programmes with stakeholders • All manuals and other guidance material developed will input to future capacity building and education and training activities, including: • Flood Forecasting and Warning; • Low Flow Estimation and Prediction • Design Flood Estimation • Water Resources Assessment • Guide to Hydrological Practices (Revised Version in final editing) • Role and Operation of NHSs (Published October 2006)

10. Public outreach programmes and material • All manuals and other guidance material developed will provide input to development of public outreach material, especially: • Flood Forecasting and Warning; • Floodplain Management ; and • Risk Management.

11. Prioritisation and potential collaboration • Primary focus is on the development of material to support improved hydrological services in developing countries (priorities are safety of life and property and sustainable resources development and management). • Linkages to RA – RA Working Groups on Hydrology and Presidents of Technical Commissions/Presidents of RA’s meetings. • Future projects and possible collaboration include: • Improved lead time/accuracy of flood forecasts – CAS – Quantitative Precipitation Estimation and Forecasting • Water Resources Management – water availability forecasts/outlooks from climate prediction – CCl • Impacts of Climate Change on water resources and water related disasters – CCl • Demonstration projects through RAs • International Flood Initiative – UNESCO, IAHS, ISDR, UNU, ICHARM, etc. • Manual of Flood Forecasting & Warning –SCHAPI- Storm surge & its role as a boundary condition to river flooding • Define the vulnerability of Coastal areas exposed to storm Surge & forecasting not only Hazards but Risks- SCHAPI