Tourian M. J. auteur aut IRD Papa Fabrice auteur aut IRD Elmi O. auteur aut IRD Sneeuw N. auteur aut IRD Kitambo B. auteur aut IRD Tshimanga R. M. auteur aut IRD Paris A. auteur aut IRD Calmant Stéphane auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf reformatted digital access Water storage-discharge analysis shows that Congo Basin's Total Drainable Water Storage amounts to 476-502 km(3), is unevenly distributed, with 63% in the southern sub-basins, and would take approximately 4.3 months to drain entirely. The Congo Basin is of global significance for biodiversity and the water and carbon cycles. However, its freshwater availability and distribution remain relatively unknown. Using satellite data, here we show that currently the Congo Basin's Total Drainable Water Storage lies within a range of 476 km(3) to 502 km(3), unevenly distributed throughout the region, with 63% being stored in the southernmost sub-basins, Kasai (220-228 km(3)) and Lualaba (109-169 km(3)), while the northern sub-basins contribute only 173 +/- 8 km(3). We further estimate the hydraulic time constant for draining its entire water storage to be 4.3 +/- 0.1 months, but, regionally, permanent wetlands and large lakes act as resistors resulting in greater time constants of up to 105 +/- 3 months. Our estimate provides a robust basis to address the challenges of water demand for 120 million inhabitants, a population expected to double in a few decades. specialized CONGO CUVETTE 062 021 020 4 1 174 [13 p.] 2023 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010087769 10.1038/s43247-023-00836-z [F B010087769] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010087769 https://horizon.documentation.ird.fr/exl-doc/pleins_textes/2023-07/010087769.pdf IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2023-07-06 2025-02-24 fdi:010087769 fre