Water Balance Estimates of the Machar Marshes

Abstract

Further increases of the River Nile discharge may come from reducing the water losses in the upstream swampy areas in the Nile basin. The Machar region is one of the main losers of water in this basin. In this work, the general water balance of the Machar region is studied using new models which incorporate the dynamic interaction of climate, soil and vegetation. Also, the random variability of the different hydrologic components are investigated. Probabilistic estimates of annual water yield of the Machar catchments are presented. These estimates show the amount of water that may be saved and they provide a guide to the Egyptian and Sudanese water resource planners in their design of a channelization system in the region.