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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

Manual on Flood Forecasting and Warning – Final Draft due October 2008 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.

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

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)

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.

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