Abstract: This paper presents the first continuous pollen record from the southern Namib Desert spanning the last 50,000years. Obtained from rock hyrax middens found near the town of Pella, South Africa, these data are used to reconstruct vegetation change and quantitative estimates of temperature and aridity. Results indicate that the last glacial period was characterised by increased water availability at the site relative to the Holocene. Changes in temperature and potential evapotranspiration appear to have played a significant role in determining the hydrologic balance. The record can be considered in two sections: 1) the last glacial period, when low temperatures favoured the development of more mesic Nama-Karoo vegetation at the site, with periods of increased humidity concurrent with increased coastal upwelling, both responding to lower global/regional temperatures; and 2) the Holocene, during which time high temperatures and potential evapotranspiration resulted in increased aridity and an expansion of the Desert Biome. During this latter period, increases in upwelling intensity created drier conditions at the site. Considered in the context of discussions of forcing mechanisms of regional climate change and environmental dynamics, the results from Pella stand in clear contrast with many inferences of terrestrial environmental change derived from regional marine records. Observations of a strong precessional signal and interpretations of increased humidity during phases of high local summer insolation in the marine records are not consistent with the data from Pella. Similarly, while high percentages of Restionaceae pollen has been observed in marine sediments during the last glacial period, they do not exceed 1% of the assemblage from Pella, indicating that no significant expansion of the Fynbos Biome has occurred during the last 50,000years. These findings pose interesting questions regarding the nature of environmental change in southwestern Africa, and the significance of the diverse records that have been obtained from the region.

Abstract: Kalahari sands which cover a large part of Southern Africa and extend into Central Africa are infertile and marginal soils for intensive agriculture. Therefore, high nitrogen fertilisation rates may degrade ecosystems of rivers with catchments covered by the Kalahari sands. A study on Mashare Farm located in the Okavango River basin showed that irrigated Kalahari sandy soils had a nitrate retention capacity, which enabled the soil to resist nitrate leaching in water saturated conditions. The irrigated soils were modified by agricultural activities; hence this study investigated if uncultivated and cultivated Kalahari sand soils had similar nitrate retention properties. The elementary composition of the soils was investigated for obtaining an insight into chemical properties that may be causing the nitrate retention capacity. A permeameter was used to leach out nitrates from irrigated and uncultivated soil samples, and nitrate concentrations were measured on the leaching effluent from the permeameter. Elemental analysis was done on the cultivated and the uncultivated soil samples using a Scanning Electron Microscope, a portable X-Ray Fluorescence analyzer, and an X-Ray Diffraction machine, and the later was also used for crystalline structure analyses. Sieve analyses confirmed that the Mashare’s cultivated and uncultivated topsoils were similar, and both were similar to Botswana Kalahari topsoil. The irrigated and cultivated subsoil had a higher average nitrate retention capacity of 76% compared to 73% for the uncultivated subsoil. Both samples had the same elements, although the proportions were different. Both soil samples were dominated by a quartz mineral, but the field soil had traces of palygorskite. The presence of aluminum and transition metals outside the minerals structure, but as coatings on the quartz sand grains enhanced nitrate retention capacity properties of the Kalahari sand soils.

Abstract: Paleohydrological data from the African tropics and subtropics, including lake, groundwater and speleothem records, are reviewed to show how environments and climates from both hemispheres are inter-related. Although orbitally induced changes in the monsoon strength account for a large part of long-term climatic changes in tropical Africa, the Late Pleistocene–Holocene hydrological fluctuations rather appear to have been a series of abrupt events that reflect complex interactions between orbital forcing, atmosphere, ocean and land surface conditions. During the Last Glacial Maximum (23–18ka BP), most records indicate that generally dry conditions have prevailed in both hemispheres, associated with lower tropical land- and sea-surface temperatures. This agrees with simulations using coupled ocean–atmosphere models, which predict cooling and reduced summer precipitation in tropical Africa; the global hydrological cycle was weaker than today when the extent of large polar ice-sheets and sea-ice was a prominent forcing factor of the Earth’s climate. Glacial-interglacial climatic changes started early: a first wetting/warming phase at ca. 17–16ka BP took place during a period of rapid temperature increase in Antarctica. Next, two drastic arid-humid transitions in equatorial and northern Africa occurred around 15–14.5ka BP and 11.5–11ka BP. Both are thought to match the major Greenland warming events, in concert with the switching of the oceanic thermohaline circulation to modern mode. However, part of the climatic signal after 15 ka BP also seems related to the Antarctica climate. During the Holocene, Africa has also experienced rapid hydrological fluctuations of dramatic magnitude compared to the climatic changes at high latitudes. In particular, major dry spells occurred around 8.4–8ka and 4.2–4ka BP in the northern monsoon domain. Comparison with other parts of the world indicates that these events have a worldwide distribution but different regional expressions. In the absence of large polar ice sheets, changes in the continental hydrological cycles in the tropics may have a significant impact on the global climate system. Climate information gathered here allows to identify geographical and methodological gaps, and raise some scientific questions that remain to be solved to better understand how the tropics respond to changes in major climate-forcing factors, and how they influence climate globally.

Abstract: Today’s cities face the challenge of climate change adaptation worldwide. In this context, prevention of damage caused by flash floods plays an important role. This requires a cooperative pluvial flood risk management approach, which includes planning, technical, and administrative measures and involves preliminary flood risk analyses. This article outlines the main components of this risk management approach, which has proven its effectiveness in Europe. The recommendations formulated for this purpose are applicable or adaptable to regions with other constraints, such as China, for example.

Abstract: Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden beispielhaft unterschiedliche Ansätze des Risikomanagements und das Verständnis von Nachhaltigkeit in der Wasserwirtschaft dargelegt. Die Darstellung richtet sich insbesondere an Leser aus anderen Fachdisziplinen, wie das Rechts- und Finanzwesen, den Fahrzeug- und Maschinenbau oder auch die sozialen Berufe. Die Zusammenhänge werden überblicksartig mit einzelnen konkreten Beispielen dargestellt mit dem Fokus auf die grundsätzlichen Denk- und Vorgehensweisen.