UNAM Repository :: Browsing by Author "Nahenda, Isak Elago Natangwe"

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Estimation of evaporation losses based on stable isotope composition of water in the Calueque-Oshakati canal, Namibia
(University of Namibia, 2020) Nahenda, Isak Elago Natangwe
The open concrete-lined Calueque-Oshakati canal has been operational since the 1970s, carrying raw water from the Calueque Dam on the Kunene River in the Southern region of Angola to the Central Northern region of Namibia. This raw water is conveyed to the purification plants along the canal, where it is purified before distribution to towns and villages through pipelines. This thesis presents the findings on the estimation of evaporation losses using the stable isotopic composition of water in the canal. The study aimed at estimating the amounts of water lost from the Calueque-Oshakati canal due to evaporation against the amounts supplied to the lower Cuvelai-Etosha Basin (CEB) in Namibia. The water samples were collected along the canal and sent to the laboratory for stable isotope composition analysis. The isotopic data was inserted in a hydro-calculator with climatic variables to compute the evaporation factors. The findings of the research showed that higher amounts of water are lost due to evaporation during the dry season than the wet season. This paper finally recommends the change of the method of transferring water from Angola to Namibia and the establishment of the local evaporation line (LEL) in the Central Northern Namibia.