Hydro-Management on Lake Chicamba in Mozambique
Improving multi-use reservoir management with forecasts

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Principle 4: Climate
Based on the historical average, Filipe would normally allow the water level behind the dam to come down to 40% just before the rainy season begins, anticipating ample opportunity to fill it up as the rainy season progresses (see animation of the annual cycle of rainfall in the region). This year, the meeting of the regional Meteorological Services (the Southern African Regional Climate Outlook Forum, SARCOF) has issued a consensus seasonal rainfall forecast indicating that over most of the Zambezi watershed, probabilities are enhanced for normal to below normal rainfall. Toward the southern part of the watershed, chances for normal rainfall increase.