A Global Reservoir Assessment Tool for Predicting Hydrologic Impact and
Operating Pattern of Existing and Planned Reservoirs
Abstract
Dam construction is on the rise in developing nations. Monitoring of
these dams is necessary to understand downstream hydrologic impacts and
for better planning and management of water resources. Satellite
observations and advancements in information technology now present a
unique opportunity to overcome the traditional limitations of reservoir
monitoring. In this study, a global reservoir monitoring framework is
developed as an online tool for near-realtime monitoring and impact
analysis of existing and planned reservoirs based on publicly available
and global satellite observations. The framework uses a mass balance
approach to monitor 1598 reservoirs in South America, Africa, and
South-East Asia region. The framework simulated streamflow was validated
in 18 river basins and the storage change was validated against in-situ
data of 77 reservoirs. The framework was able to capture reservoir state
realistically for more than 75% of the reservoirs. The tool can now be
used to study existing and planned reservoirs for hydrologic impact and
operating pattern for short and long term decision making and policy
analysis.