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Messele Zewdie Ejeta
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Joined: 27 Dec 2016, 10:21

Predictability of Meteorological Variability and Drought Resilience

Post by Messele Zewdie Ejeta » 10 Nov 2022, 14:39

The predictability of meteorological variability is potentially a helpful scientific resource for the International Drought Resilience Alliance, which was in the news recently.

I am not sure if there are Ethiopian researchers who are or may want to involve in this drought resilience alliance. If I remember correctly, the former Arbaminch Water Technology Institute, now Arbaminch University, was opened in 1986 subsequent to the catastrophic drought in Ethiopia around 1984.

The peer-reviewed research paper that I linked above suggests that meteorological variability may be predictable using analogous orbital forcing of the Earth and the Moon. It is a new research frontier that is yet to get traction among the academic community. I think that interested researchers about drought resilience would benefit from taking a look at it as part of their scientific endeavors.

The paper used data in the California Central Valley. I have also tried to work with my colleague to apply it in the Nile Basin, including doing some academic exercise about a potential optimal interoperability of Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam (GRD) and Egypt’s Aswan High Dam (AHD) in light of the predictability of meteorological variability. I have yet to find the needed resources to continue that effort.

I would be equally happy to see if there are Ethiopian or other researchers out there who may have the resources to embark on that kind of academic exercise.