The University of Arizona - AGRHYMET Planning Visit

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The University of Arizona AGRHYMET Planning Visit proposal is aimed at establishing a new research collaboration between The University of Arizona and AGRHYMET in Niger (Niamey). The funds will support the visit of a University of Arizona team, under the direction of Juan B Valdes and Aleix Serrat-Capdevila, to Niamey (Niger) for a research planning visit to AGRHYMET. A specialized institute of the Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) composed of nine member states, AGRHYMET is a Centre of Excellence in the science and techniques for regional agro-meteorological and hydrological monitoring, among other domains of expertise. The goal of the visit is to elaborate a joint research agenda to improve the spatio-temporal characterization of precipitation in the African Monsoon Region using both ground and satellite estimates, and to improve the use of satellite precipitation estimates in hydrologic applications and early warning systems. To achieve these goals, we will compare rain gauges and satellite precipitation measurements from different sources and different spatial scales and resolutions, across different latitudes in the African Monsoon Region (i.e. the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone). We will also evaluate local calibrations and bias corrections of satellite measurements, and perform an analysis of the uncertainty contained in the estimates. Finally we will also compare the use of different precipitation products in lumped and distributed hydrologic models for basins in different monsoon regions.This planning visit and later communication between teams will lead to a well organized and focused scientific research agenda aimed at improving real-time precipitation estimates with important broader implications in terms of precipitation monitoring, streamflow forecasting and water resources management (allocation, reservoir operations) in poorly gauged basins across the world. For this reason, this proposal has the support of ICIWaRM-UNESCO (International Center for Integrated Water Resources Management) and the Secretariat of the Sub-Saharan G-WADI network program of UNESCO, chaired by AGRHYMET.