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New Measurements of Water Dynamics and Sediment Transport along the Middle Reach of the Congo River and the Kasai Tributary
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  • Raphael M Tshimanga,
  • Mark A Trigg,
  • Jeff Neal,
  • Preksides Ndomba,
  • Denis A Hughes,
  • Andrew B Carr,
  • Pierre M Kabuya,
  • Gode B Bola,
  • Catherine A Mushi,
  • Jules T Beya,
  • Felly K Ngandu,
  • Gabriel M Mokango,
  • Felix Mtalo,
  • Paul Bates
Raphael M Tshimanga
Congo Basin Water Resources Research Center (CRREBaC) & Dpt. Natural Resources Management

Corresponding Author:raphtm@yahoo.fr

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Mark A Trigg
School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds
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Jeff Neal
School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol
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Preksides Ndomba
Department of Water Resources Engineering, University of Dar es Salaam
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Denis A Hughes
Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University
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Andrew B Carr
School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds
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Pierre M Kabuya
Congo Basin Water Resources Research Center (CRREBaC) & Dpt. Natural Resources Management, University of Kinshasa
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Gode B Bola
Congo Basin Water Resources Research Center (CRREBaC) & Dpt. Natural Resources Management, University of Kinshasa
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Catherine A Mushi
Department of Water Resources Engineering, University of Dar es Salaam
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Jules T Beya
Congo Basin Water Resources Research Center (CRREBaC) & Dpt. Natural Resources Management, University of Kinshasa
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Felly K Ngandu
Congo Basin Water Resources Research Center (CRREBaC) & Dpt. Natural Resources Management, University of Kinshasa
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Gabriel M Mokango
Regie des Voies Fluviales
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Felix Mtalo
Department of Water Resources Engineering, University of Dar es Salaam
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Paul Bates
School of georgraphical sciences, University of Bristol
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Abstract

The Congo River provides potential for socio-economic growth at the regional scale, but with limited information on the river dynamics it is difficult for basin countries to benefit from this potential, and to invest in the development of water resources. In recent years, the number of hazards related to navigation and flooding has sharply increased, resulting in high loss of human lives as well as economic losses. Associated problems of river management in the Congo also include inefficiency in hydropower production, an increase in rate of river sedimentation and land use changes. Accurate information is needed to support adequate management strategies such as prediction of navigation water levels and sediment movement, and assessment of environmental impacts and engineering implications of water resources infrastructure. Modelling approaches and space observations have been used to understand the Congo River dynamics, but their effective application has proved difficult due to a lack of ground-based observational data for validation. Recent developments in data capture with acoustic Doppler technologies have considerably improved measurements of river dynamics. As well measuring river discharge, they also allow the analysis of the multiple hydrodynamic features occurring in fluvial systems. This paper presents the results of field measurement campaigns carried out in the middle reach of the Congo River and the Kasai tributary using state of the art measurement technology (ADCP, Sonar, GNSS) for investigation of large rivers. The measurements relate to river flow at multiple transects, river bathymetry, static and continuous water surface elevation, and targeted sediment sampling along the river. The paper provides a descriptive summary of the measurement results, a discussion on the application and performance of the equipment used in the Congo River, and lessons for future use of this equipment for measurements of large rivers in a data scarce environment such as the Congo Basin.
25 Feb 2022Published in Congo Basin Hydrology, Climate, and Biogeochemistry on pages 447-467. 10.1002/9781119657002.ch23