Water Resources Management under data limitations for Zambia

Water is not just a resource, but a fundamental enabler of economic and social development. It underpins agriculture, energy production, industry, public health, and ecosystem services. In developing countries, rapid population growth, urbanization, and climate variability are placing increasing pressure on already limited water resources. Addressing these challenges requires integrated water resources management approaches that carefully balance resource availability with sustainable economic development and environmental protection. However, effective decision-making is often constrained by data scarcity, limited monitoring networks, and institutional capacity gaps. To overcome these limitations, innovative tools such as remote sensing, machine learning, big data analytics, and advanced hydrological modelling offer powerful opportunities. These methods enable continuous monitoring of hydrological processes, improved prediction of extreme events, enhanced groundwater assessment, and scenario-based planning under climate change.

This presentation will highlight practical cases from the Zambezi River Basin, where similar data-driven approaches have been successfully applied to improve flood forecasting, drought monitoring, groundwater assessment, and transboundary water management. It will also outline future research directions and opportunities for collaboration, including capacity building, data sharing platforms, regional partnerships, and the integration of socio-economic indicators into water management frameworks. The seminar is organized within the UNITAFRICA project, a partnership between more than 90 universities from Italy and 18 different African countries.