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 – 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. 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.

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