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Niamey, the capital of Niger, is particularly prone to floods, since it is on the banks of the Niger River, which in its middle basin has two flood peaks: one in summer (the red flood) and one in winter (the black flood). In 2020, the Niger River in Niamey reached its all-time highest levels following an abundant rainy season. On the other hand, the floods in Niamey have been particularly frequent in the last decade, a symptom of a change in hydroclimatic behaviour already observed since the end of the great droughts of the 1970s and 1980s and which is identified with the name of Sahelian Paradox. This study, starting from the analysis of the 2020 flood and from the update of the rating curve of the Niamey hydrometric station, analyses the rainfall–runoff relationship on the Sahelian basins of the Medium Niger River Basin (MNRB) that are at the origin of the local flood. The comparative analysis of runoffs, annual maximum flows (AMAX) and runoff coefficients with various rainfall indices calculated on gridded datasets allowed to hydroclimatically characterise the last decade as a different period from the wet one before the drought, the dry one and the post-drought one. Compared to the last one, the current period is characterised by a sustained increase in hydrological indicators (AMAX +27%) consistent with the increase in both the accumulation of precipitation (+11%) and the number (+51%) and magnitude (+54%) of extreme events in the MNRB. Furthermore, a greater concentration of rainfall and extremes (+78%) in August contributes to reinforcing the red flood’s positive anomalies (+2.23 st.dev in 2020). The study indicates that under these conditions the frequency of extreme hydrological events in Niamey will tend to increase further also because of the concurrence of drivers such as river-bed silting and levee effects. Consequently, the study concludes with the need for a comprehensive flood-risk assessment on the Niamey city that considers both recent hydroclimatic trends and urbanisation dynamics in flood zones hence defining the most appropriate risk-reduction strategies.
Giovanni Massazza; Maurizio Bacci; Luc Descroix; Mohamed Ibrahim; Edoardo Fiorillo; Gaptia Katiellou; Geremy Panthou; Alessandro Pezzoli; Maurizio Rosso; Elisa Sauzedde; Andrea Terenziani; Tiziana De Filippis; Leandro Rocchi; Sara Burrone; Maurizio Tiepolo; Théo Vischel; Vieri Tarchiani. Recent Changes in Hydroclimatic Patterns over Medium Niger River Basins at the Origin of the 2020 Flood in Niamey (Niger). Water 2021, 13, 1659 .
AMA StyleGiovanni Massazza, Maurizio Bacci, Luc Descroix, Mohamed Ibrahim, Edoardo Fiorillo, Gaptia Katiellou, Geremy Panthou, Alessandro Pezzoli, Maurizio Rosso, Elisa Sauzedde, Andrea Terenziani, Tiziana De Filippis, Leandro Rocchi, Sara Burrone, Maurizio Tiepolo, Théo Vischel, Vieri Tarchiani. Recent Changes in Hydroclimatic Patterns over Medium Niger River Basins at the Origin of the 2020 Flood in Niamey (Niger). Water. 2021; 13 (12):1659.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiovanni Massazza; Maurizio Bacci; Luc Descroix; Mohamed Ibrahim; Edoardo Fiorillo; Gaptia Katiellou; Geremy Panthou; Alessandro Pezzoli; Maurizio Rosso; Elisa Sauzedde; Andrea Terenziani; Tiziana De Filippis; Leandro Rocchi; Sara Burrone; Maurizio Tiepolo; Théo Vischel; Vieri Tarchiani. 2021. "Recent Changes in Hydroclimatic Patterns over Medium Niger River Basins at the Origin of the 2020 Flood in Niamey (Niger)." Water 13, no. 12: 1659.
In the last decades since the dramatic increase in flood frequency and magnitude, floods have become a crucial problem in West Africa. National and international authorities concentrate efforts on developing early warning systems (EWS) to deliver flood alerts and prevent loss of lives and damages. Usually, regional EWS are based on hydrological modeling, while local EWS adopt field observations. This study aims to integrate outputs from two regional hydrological models—Niger HYPE (NH) and World-Wide HYPE (WWH)—in a local EWS developed for the Sirba River. Sirba is the major tributary of Middle Niger River Basin and is supported by a local EWS since June 2019. Model evaluation indices were computed with 5-day forecasts demonstrating a better performance of NH (Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency NSE = 0.58) than WWH (NSE = 0.10) and the need of output optimization. The optimization conducted with a linear regression post-processing technique improves performance significantly to “very good” for NH (Heidke skill score HSS = 0.53) and “good” for WWH (HSS = 0.28). HYPE outputs allow to extend local EWS warning lead-time up to 10 days. Since the transfer informatic environment is not yet a mature operational system 10–20% of forecasts were unfortunately not produced in 2019, impacting operational availability.
Giovanni Massazza; Vieri Tarchiani; Jafet C. M. Andersson; Abdou Ali; Mohamed Housseini Ibrahim; Alessandro Pezzoli; Tiziana De Filippis; Leandro Rocchi; Bernard Minoungou; David Gustafsson; Maurizio Rosso. Downscaling Regional Hydrological Forecast for Operational Use in Local Early Warning: HYPE Models in the Sirba River. Water 2020, 12, 3504 .
AMA StyleGiovanni Massazza, Vieri Tarchiani, Jafet C. M. Andersson, Abdou Ali, Mohamed Housseini Ibrahim, Alessandro Pezzoli, Tiziana De Filippis, Leandro Rocchi, Bernard Minoungou, David Gustafsson, Maurizio Rosso. Downscaling Regional Hydrological Forecast for Operational Use in Local Early Warning: HYPE Models in the Sirba River. Water. 2020; 12 (12):3504.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiovanni Massazza; Vieri Tarchiani; Jafet C. M. Andersson; Abdou Ali; Mohamed Housseini Ibrahim; Alessandro Pezzoli; Tiziana De Filippis; Leandro Rocchi; Bernard Minoungou; David Gustafsson; Maurizio Rosso. 2020. "Downscaling Regional Hydrological Forecast for Operational Use in Local Early Warning: HYPE Models in the Sirba River." Water 12, no. 12: 3504.
In Sahelian Africa, rural centers have been hit by catastrophic floods for many years. In order to prevent the impact of flooding, the flood-prone areas and the settlement dynamics within them must be identified. The aim of this study is to ascertain the floodplain settlement dynamics in the Maouri valley (135 km2) in the municipality of Guéchémé, Niger. Through hydraulic modeling, the analysis identified the flood-prone areas according to three return periods. The dynamics of the settlements in these areas between 2009 and 2019 were identified through the photointerpretation of high-resolution satellite images and compared with those in the adjacent non-flood-prone areas. Spatial planning was applied to extract the main dynamics. The synergic application of these disciplines in a rural context represents a novelty in the research field. Since 2009, the results have shown a 52% increase of the built-up area and a 12% increase in the number of buildings, though the increase was higher in the flood-prone areas. The factors that transform floods into catastrophes were identified through perceptions gathered from the local communities. Three dynamics of the expansion and consolidation of buildings were observed. Specific flood risk prevention and preparation actions are proposed for each type of dynamic.
Andrea Galligari; Fabio Giulio Tonolo; Giovanni Massazza. Floodplain Settlement Dynamics in the Maouri Dallol at Guéchémé, Niger: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Sustainability 2020, 12, 5632 .
AMA StyleAndrea Galligari, Fabio Giulio Tonolo, Giovanni Massazza. Floodplain Settlement Dynamics in the Maouri Dallol at Guéchémé, Niger: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (14):5632.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAndrea Galligari; Fabio Giulio Tonolo; Giovanni Massazza. 2020. "Floodplain Settlement Dynamics in the Maouri Dallol at Guéchémé, Niger: A Multidisciplinary Approach." Sustainability 12, no. 14: 5632.
Floods have recently become a major hazard in West Africa (WA) in terms of both their magnitude and frequency. They affect livelihoods, infrastructure and production systems, hence impacting on Sustainable Development (SD). Early Warning Systems (EWS) for floods that properly address all four EWS components, while also being community and impact-based, do not yet exist in WA. Existing systems address only the main rivers, are conceived in a top-down manner and are hazard-centered. This study on the Sirba river in Niger aims to demonstrate that an operational community and impact-based EWS for floods can be set up by leveraging the existing tools, local stakeholders and knowledge. The main finding of the study is that bridging the gap between top-down and bottom-up approaches is possible by directly connecting the available technical capabilities with the local level through a participatory approach. This allows the beneficiaries to define the rules that will develop the whole system, strengthening their ability to understand the information and take action. Moreover, the integration of hydrological forecasts and observations with the community monitoring and preparedness system provides a lead time suitable for operational decision-making at national and local levels. The study points out the need for the commitment of governments to the transboundary sharing of flood information for EWS and SD.
Vieri Tarchiani; Giovanni Massazza; Maurizio Rosso; Maurizio Tiepolo; Alessandro Pezzoli; Mohamed Housseini Ibrahim; Gaptia Lawan Katiellou; Paolo Tamagnone; Tiziana De Filippis; Leandro Rocchi; Valentina Marchi; Elena Rapisardi. Community and Impact Based Early Warning System for Flood Risk Preparedness: The Experience of the Sirba River in Niger. Sustainability 2020, 12, 1802 .
AMA StyleVieri Tarchiani, Giovanni Massazza, Maurizio Rosso, Maurizio Tiepolo, Alessandro Pezzoli, Mohamed Housseini Ibrahim, Gaptia Lawan Katiellou, Paolo Tamagnone, Tiziana De Filippis, Leandro Rocchi, Valentina Marchi, Elena Rapisardi. Community and Impact Based Early Warning System for Flood Risk Preparedness: The Experience of the Sirba River in Niger. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (5):1802.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVieri Tarchiani; Giovanni Massazza; Maurizio Rosso; Maurizio Tiepolo; Alessandro Pezzoli; Mohamed Housseini Ibrahim; Gaptia Lawan Katiellou; Paolo Tamagnone; Tiziana De Filippis; Leandro Rocchi; Valentina Marchi; Elena Rapisardi. 2020. "Community and Impact Based Early Warning System for Flood Risk Preparedness: The Experience of the Sirba River in Niger." Sustainability 12, no. 5: 1802.
In the last decades, the Sahelian area was hit by an increase of flood events, both in frequency and in magnitude. In order to prevent damages, an early warning system (EWS) has been planned for the Sirba River, the major tributary of the Middle Niger River Basin. The EWS uses the prior notification of Global Flood Awareness System (GloFAS) to realize adaptive measures in the exposed villages. This study analyzed the performances of GloFAS 1.0 and 2.0 at Garbey Kourou. The model verification was performed using continuous and categorical indices computed according to the historical flow series and the flow hazard thresholds. The unsatisfactory reliability of the original forecasts suggested the performing of an optimization to improve the model performances. Therefore, datasets were divided into two periods, 5 years for training and 5 years for validation, and an optimization was conducted applying a linear regression throughout the homogeneous periods of the wet season. The results show that the optimization improved the performances of GloFAS 1.0 and decreased the forecast deficit of GloFAS 2.0. Moreover, it highlighted the fundamental role played by the hazard thresholds in the model evaluation. The optimized GloFAS 2.0 demonstrated performance acceptable in order to be applied in an EWS.
Giulio Passerotti; Giovanni Massazza; Alessandro Pezzoli; Velia Bigi; Ervin Zsótér; Maurizio Rosso. Hydrological Model Application in the Sirba River: Early Warning System and GloFAS Improvements. Water 2020, 12, 620 .
AMA StyleGiulio Passerotti, Giovanni Massazza, Alessandro Pezzoli, Velia Bigi, Ervin Zsótér, Maurizio Rosso. Hydrological Model Application in the Sirba River: Early Warning System and GloFAS Improvements. Water. 2020; 12 (3):620.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiulio Passerotti; Giovanni Massazza; Alessandro Pezzoli; Velia Bigi; Ervin Zsótér; Maurizio Rosso. 2020. "Hydrological Model Application in the Sirba River: Early Warning System and GloFAS Improvements." Water 12, no. 3: 620.
South of the Sahara, flood vulnerability and risk assessments at local level rarely identify the exposed areas according to the probability of flooding or the actions in place, or localize the exposed items. They are, therefore, of little use for local development, risk prevention, and contingency planning. The aim of this article is to assess the flood risk, providing useful information for local planning and an assessment methodology useful for other case studies. As a result, the first step involves identifying the information required by the local plans most used south of the Sahara. Four rural communities in Niger, frequently flooded by the Sirba River, are then considered. The risk is the product of the probability of a flood multiplied by the potential damage. Local knowledge and knowledge derived from a hydraulic numerical model, digital terrain model, very high resolution multispectral orthoimages, and daily precipitation are used. The assessment identifies the probability of fluvial and pluvial flooding, the exposed areas, the position, quantity, type, replacement value of exposed items, and the risk level according to three flooding scenarios. Fifteen actions are suggested to reduce the risk and to turn adversity into opportunity.
Maurizio Tiepolo; Maurizio Rosso; Giovanni Massazza; Elena Belcore; Souradji Issa; Sarah Braccio. Flood Assessment for Risk-Informed Planning along the Sirba River, Niger. Sustainability 2019, 11, 4003 .
AMA StyleMaurizio Tiepolo, Maurizio Rosso, Giovanni Massazza, Elena Belcore, Souradji Issa, Sarah Braccio. Flood Assessment for Risk-Informed Planning along the Sirba River, Niger. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (15):4003.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaurizio Tiepolo; Maurizio Rosso; Giovanni Massazza; Elena Belcore; Souradji Issa; Sarah Braccio. 2019. "Flood Assessment for Risk-Informed Planning along the Sirba River, Niger." Sustainability 11, no. 15: 4003.
The technology of UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) is rapidly improving and UAV-integrated sensors have kept up with it, providing more efficient and effective solutions. One of the most sought-after characteristics of on-board sensors is the low costing associated to good quality of the collected data. This paper proposes a very low-cost multiband sensor developed on a Raspberry device and two Raspberry Pi 3 cameras that can be used in photogrammetry from drone applications. The UAV-integrated radiometric sensor and its performance were tested in in two villages of South-west Niger for the detection of temporary surface water bodies (or Ephemeral water bodies): zones of seasonal stagnant water within villages threatening the viability and people’s health. The Raspberry Pi 3 cameras employed were a regular RGB Pi camera 2 (Red, Green, Blue) and a NoIR Pi 3 camera v2 (regular RGB without IR filter) with 8MPX resolution. The cameras were geometrically calibrated and radiometrically tested before the survey in the field. The results of the photogrammetry elaborations were 4 orthophotos (a RGB and NoIRGB orthophoto for each village). The Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) was calculated. The index allowed the localization and the contouring of the temporary surface water bodies present in the villages. The data were checked against the data collected with a Sony (ILCE-5100). Very high correspondence between the different data was detected. Raspberry-based sensors demonstrated to be a valid tool for the data collection in critical areas.
E. Belcore; M. Piras; A. Pezzoli; Giovanni Massazza; M. Rosso. RASPBERRY PI 3 MULTISPECTRAL LOW-COST SENSOR FOR UAV BASED REMOTE SENSING. CASE STUDY IN SOUTH-WEST NIGER. ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences 2019, XLII-2/W13, 207 -214.
AMA StyleE. Belcore, M. Piras, A. Pezzoli, Giovanni Massazza, M. Rosso. RASPBERRY PI 3 MULTISPECTRAL LOW-COST SENSOR FOR UAV BASED REMOTE SENSING. CASE STUDY IN SOUTH-WEST NIGER. ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences. 2019; XLII-2/W13 ():207-214.
Chicago/Turabian StyleE. Belcore; M. Piras; A. Pezzoli; Giovanni Massazza; M. Rosso. 2019. "RASPBERRY PI 3 MULTISPECTRAL LOW-COST SENSOR FOR UAV BASED REMOTE SENSING. CASE STUDY IN SOUTH-WEST NIGER." ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences XLII-2/W13, no. : 207-214.
In Sahelian countries, a vast number of people are still affected every year by flood despite the efforts to prevent or mitigate these catastrophic events. This phenomenon is exacerbated by the incessant population growth and the increase of extreme natural events. Hence, the development of flood management strategies such as flood hazard mapping and Early Warning Systems has become a crucial objective for the affected nations. This study presents a comprehensive hazard assessment of the Nigerien reach of the Sirba River, the main tributary Middle Niger River. Hazard thresholds were defined both on hydrological analysis and field effects, according to national guidelines. Non-stationary analyses were carried out to consider changes in the hydrological behavior of the Sirba basin over time. Data from topographical land surveys and discharge gauges collected during the 2018 dry and wet seasons were used to implement the hydraulic numerical model of the analyzed reach. The use of the proposed hydraulic model allowed the delineation of flood hazard maps as well the calculation of the flood propagation time from the upstream hydrometric station and the validation of the rating curves of the two gauging sites. These significative outcomes will allow the implementation of the Early Warning System for the river flood hazard and risk reduction plans preparation for each settlement.
Giovanni Massazza; Paolo Tamagnone; Catherine Wilcox; Elena Belcore; Alessandro Pezzoli; Theo Vischel; Gérémy Panthou; Mohamed Housseini Ibrahim; Maurizio Tiepolo; Vieri Tarchiani; Maurizio Rosso. Flood Hazard Scenarios of the Sirba River (Niger): Evaluation of the Hazard Thresholds and Flooding Areas. Water 2019, 11, 1018 .
AMA StyleGiovanni Massazza, Paolo Tamagnone, Catherine Wilcox, Elena Belcore, Alessandro Pezzoli, Theo Vischel, Gérémy Panthou, Mohamed Housseini Ibrahim, Maurizio Tiepolo, Vieri Tarchiani, Maurizio Rosso. Flood Hazard Scenarios of the Sirba River (Niger): Evaluation of the Hazard Thresholds and Flooding Areas. Water. 2019; 11 (5):1018.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiovanni Massazza; Paolo Tamagnone; Catherine Wilcox; Elena Belcore; Alessandro Pezzoli; Theo Vischel; Gérémy Panthou; Mohamed Housseini Ibrahim; Maurizio Tiepolo; Vieri Tarchiani; Maurizio Rosso. 2019. "Flood Hazard Scenarios of the Sirba River (Niger): Evaluation of the Hazard Thresholds and Flooding Areas." Water 11, no. 5: 1018.
The Sahelian regions are affected by an increasing number of catastrophic floods in recent years as a consequence of climate and land use/land cover changes. River flow data is key to understanding river behavior and develop flood mitigation and prevention strategies. The present study provides a revision and an update of the existing discharge dataset of the Sirba River with the aim of enhancing the reliability of these data. The revision also includes the recalibration of the Garbey Kourou rating curves. The analysis of the revised discharge time series strengthens the previous findings, evidencing a positive trend in flood frequency and intensity over the entire analyzed period of 1956–2018. This positive trend is more pronounced for the last 40 years due to a significant underestimation of the rating curves used. A relevant finding is a new changepoint in the time series, detected for 2008, which represents the beginning of the period in which the highest flood magnitudes were registered. The effect of land use/land cover changes and climate changes on the water resource is depicted using flow duration curves. This research produces a revised and more reliable discharge time series that will be a new starting point for future hydrological analyses.
Paolo Tamagnone; Giovanni Massazza; Alessandro Pezzoli; Maurizio Rosso. Hydrology of the Sirba River: Updating and Analysis of Discharge Time Series. Water 2019, 11, 156 .
AMA StylePaolo Tamagnone, Giovanni Massazza, Alessandro Pezzoli, Maurizio Rosso. Hydrology of the Sirba River: Updating and Analysis of Discharge Time Series. Water. 2019; 11 (1):156.
Chicago/Turabian StylePaolo Tamagnone; Giovanni Massazza; Alessandro Pezzoli; Maurizio Rosso. 2019. "Hydrology of the Sirba River: Updating and Analysis of Discharge Time Series." Water 11, no. 1: 156.