The design of an international real time data collection system: SADC-HYCOS

It is increasingly clear that there is a need to assist National Hydrologic al Agencies in Africa to improve their hydrometric data collection capabili ties and at the same time to halt the decline in hydrometric standards. Thi s has to be achieved in a cost-effective and sustainable way and, at the sa me time reinforce existing systems with new technology and equipment and st rengthen the institution capacity of these agencies. The Southern African D evelopment Community-Hydrological Cycle Observation System (SADC-HYCOS) wil l provide the framework, methodologies and tools to achieve this goal. This paper provides the first opportunity to inform the global hydrological com munity of the aims and activities of the SADC-HYCOS project. Significant ad vances will be made in the installation of real time data collection platfo rms and transmission system, the development and implementation of a region al database, the improvement and/or development of data exchange and dissem ination systems using a regional electronic network and Internet links, the development of hydrometeorological products from the database and establis hing a large scale training programme relating to activities during the lif e-time of the project. SADC-HYCOS will promote the collection, processing and exchange of hydrolog ical data and information within the region and raise the profile of the re gional hydrological issues, hydrological research, operational hydrology, a vailability of data and information to a global audience.