Introduction: The IMPETUS method

Abstract

Regional climate models that take land use and land cover changes into account indicate a general decrease in rainfall and prominent surface heating in sub-Saharan Africa until 2050 (see sect. II-3.2). The high population growth predicted in this period is expected to cause rapid land use changes and to strongly influence water availability and demand. In this context, the IMPETUS research project was not intended to offer a prescription of rigid options for sustainable management of the hydrological cycle. Rather, it was intended to support the decisionmaking process within project countries. For this purpose, tools have been developed that allow for the comparison and balancing of different options with the aid of Spatial Decision Support Systems (SDSSs), Information Systems (ISs), and Monitoring Tools (MTs). The intention is to help decision makers by providing them with efficient and user-friendly tools for analyzing and managing decisionmaking problems and underlying phenomena. Target areas for this research were the Ouémé basin in Benin and the Drâa catchment in Morocco. Target years were chosen as 2025 for Benin and 2020 for Morocco based on pre-existing, long-term government strategy papers.