@article{fdi:010085013,
  title = {{R}ainfall and water resources variability in sub-saharan {A}frica during the twentieth century},
  author = {{C}onway, {D}. and {P}ersechino, {A}. and {A}rdoin {B}ardin, {S}andra and {H}amandawana, {H}. and {D}ieulin, {C}laudine and {M}ah{\'e}, {G}il},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{R}iver basin rainfall series and extensive river flow records are used to characterize and improve understanding of spatial and temporal variability in sub-{S}aharan {A}frican water resources during the last century. {N}ine major international river basins were chosen for examination primarily for their extensive, good quality flow records. {A} range of statistical descriptors highlight the substantial variability in rainfall and river flows [e. g., differences in rainfall (flows) of up to -14% (-51%) between 1931-60 and 1961-90 in {W}est {A}frica], the marked regional differences, and the modest intraregional differences. {O}n decadal time scales, sub-{S}aharan {A}frica exhibits drying across the {S}ahel after the early 1970s, relative stability punctuated by extreme wet years in {E}ast {A}frica, and periodic behavior underlying high interannual variability in southern {A}frica. {C}entral {A}frica shows very modest decadal variability, with some similarities to the {S}ahel in the adjoining basins. {N}o consistent signals in rainfall and river flows emerge across the whole of the region. {A}n analysis of rainfall-runoff relationships reveals varying behavior including strong but nonstationary relationships (particularly in {W}est {A}frica); many basins with marked variations (temporal and spatial) in strength; weak, almost random behavior (particularly in southern {A}frica); and very few strong, temporally stable relationships. {T}wenty-year running correlations between rainfall and river flow tend to be higher during periods of greater rainfall station density; however, there are situations in which weak (strong) relationships exist even with reasonable (poor) station coverage. {T}he authors conclude for sub-{S}aharan {A}frica that robust identification and attribution of hydrological change is severely limited by data availability, conflicting behavior across basins/regions, low signal-to-noise ratios, sometimes weak rainfall-runoff relationships, and limited quantification of the magnitude and effects of land use change.},
  keywords = {},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {H}ydrometeorology},
  volume = {10},
  numero = {1},
  pages = {41--59},
  ISSN = {1525-755{X}},
  year = {2009},
  DOI = {10.1175/2008jhm1004.1},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010085013},
}