West and Central African FRIEND (AOC)

10.5.1 Contribution of FRIEND-AOC

This subject concerns all the topic coordinators, each of whom feel the need to:

• train young scientists in order to ensure the future of hydrological research in the region

• encourage established scientists to make their work known through the international scientific community

• encourage researchers to take part in international programmes.

Three types of education and training were identified:

• 'Real' training courses to help teams working on the FRIEND-AOC project learn how to use new tools and new techniques

• Scientific workshops to facilitate advances in scientific thought through extensive comparison and diffusion of scientific results obtained by teams of FRIEND-AOC researchers

• Short-term regional exchanges that allow research teams involved in the FRIEND-AOC project to work more efficiently together on unconnected issues they share.

A training course for members of FRIEND-AOC entitled Geographic information systems applied to hydrology and water resources was held at the École Inter-États d'Equipment Rural (EIER) in Ouagadougou from 15 to 19 October 2001. The training programme organised by the GIS unit of EIER and IRD focused on three main topics:

• presentation of the concept and functionalities of GIS

• familiarisation with MAO INFO software

• review of different possible applications of GIS linked with water resources. Nine people from different countries took part in the course.

Other training courses

Other courses are envisaged for people from different backgrounds on subjects that are considered to be indispensable for all project topics. Three proposals have already been put forward:

• Surface states: definition, spatial reconnaissance, visual display with GIS (probably in partnership with EIER)

• Remote sensing: tools for FRIEND-AOC topics; satellites and sensors (probably in partnership with AGRHYMET)

• Modelling: aggregation and disaggregation techniques for hydrological parameters and variables; conversion from atmospheric to hydrological scales or from the scale of local heterogeneities to that of a hydrological basin (probably in partnership with Benin National University).

Ideally each course would cater for between 15 and 20 people.

10.5.2 Scientific exchanges

Mr Lienou from the Hydrological Research Centre in Yaoundé spent a month at the University of Yaoundé in Cameroon to work on his doctoral thesis entitled Climate variability and its impact on water resources in Cameroon.

Mr Sao Sangare, who is a hydrological engineer and who is head of the Data Analysis and Processing Division of the Directorate-General for Hydraulics in Guinea, spent one month with VRE coordination at EIER in Ouagadougou to start work on a study of the water balance of the upper Senegal and Niger river basins.

Mr Emmanuel Lawin, a student at the National University, spent one month with AGRHYMET in Niamey to learn data-processing techniques.

Mr Noël Moukolo, senior research fellow with DGRST/CERGEC in Brazzaville, spent one month at the Hydrological Research Centre in Yaoundé to work on material flows in catchments shared by Cameroon and Congo.

Mr Soussou Sambou, senior faculty member of Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, spent three weeks at Benin National University to finish his dissertation on modelling the flow between reaches of a river.

These training courses and scientific exchanges enabled researchers to prepare papers for publication and presentations at conferences more efficiently.

10.5.3 Graduate training

In certain research topics in the programme, more specific graduate training was also organised.

Topic: Dynamics of material flows

For this topic, four doctoral theses, seven diplomas of advanced studies (DEA) and four diplomas of specialized studies (DESS) have already been defended or are underway.

Doctoral theses (single theses at the University of Yaoundé I)

Gaston Liénou: Impacts of human activity and climate on the recent evolution of several representative catchments in Cameroon: climatology, hydrology, erosion, material flows Dorice Kuitcha: Study of subsurface waters in and around the city of Yaoundé

Henriette Ateba: Bacterial study of water in Yaoundé and prevention of water-borne diseases Joséphine Ndjama: Dynamics of hydrogeochemical and fresh-water pollution in urban areas:

case studies of Ngoua and Bobongo (Douala, Cameroon)

Theses for Diplomas of Advanced Studies DEA (2004, University of Yaoundé I)

Mohammad Bello: Material flows in a catchment from Mayo Tsanaga to Bogo (North Cameroon): 2002-2003 measurement campaign

Guy Richard Kamgang: Material flows in a catchment from Lom to Bétaré-Oya (East Cameroon): 2002-2003 measurement campaign

Masters theses (2003-2004, University of Douala)

Suzanne Ngo Boum: Physico-chemical and piezometric characterisation of groundwater at Ndog-Bong (Douala)

Paulin Simplice Kouendjin Defonchada: Physico-chemical and piezometric characterisation of groundwater at Nkololoum (Douala)

William Yves Kamseu: Physico-chemical and piezometric characterisation of groundwater at New-Bell (Douala)

Erhard Rufin Assonfack Dongmo: Physico-chemical and piezometric characterisation of groundwater at Bassa (Douala)

Masters theses (2004, University of Dschang)

Aimé Nasser Mboussop: Measurement of solid discharge in the region of Mount Cameroon:

example of a catchment from Mungo to Mundamé (measurement campaign 2002-2003) Adzeh Roger Tamoken: Measurement of solid discharge in the coastal region of Cameroon:

example of a catchment from Kienké to Kribi (measurement campaign 2002-2003) Topic: Variability of water resources

Thesis examinations and ongoing theses

Daniel Sighomnou, state examination thesis at the Univeristy of Yaoundé I, October 2004 (funded by IRD with a grant for a short-term scientific exchange, enrolled at Yaoundé 1):

Analysis and redefinition of climate and hydrological regimes in Cameroon: possible future changes in water resources.

Pierre Diello is continuing his thesis at IRD (funded by IRD, enrolled at University of Montpellier 2, partners EIER, IRD) on the topic Relations between man, climate and the environment in the Bourkinabe Sahel – surface impacts and hydrological modelling.

Gaston Liénou is continuing his thesis (IRD funding, enrolled at Yaoundé 1): Impacts of human activity and climate on recent changes in a number of representative catchments in Cameroon: climatology, hydrology, erosion, material flows. His thesis will be examined in June 2006.

Télésphore Brou Yao continued to receive his grant for a short-term scientific exchange, after which he went to HydroSciences Montpellier with a grant from AUF. His thesis on the topic Climate, human activities and natural ecosystems in Côte d’Ivoire: study of the relations between climatic variability, socio-economic change and landscape dynamics was examined at HDR University of Lille 1 in December 2005.