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Rufiji Watershed Management System

Hydrological modeling and spatial decision support system for Tanzania's largest river basin — enabling flood risk mapping, groundwater potential assessment, and cross-sectoral water allocation planning.

Rufiji Basin, Tanzania
2021–2023
UNDP & Ministry of Water

177,000 km²

Basin Area

12

Flood Scenarios

8 agencies

Stakeholders Served

40 years

Calibration Period

Environment Project

Rufiji Watershed Management System

The Challenge

What the Client Needed

Tanzania's Rufiji River Basin — covering 177,000 km² and supporting millions of people — had no integrated hydrological information system. Water allocation decisions were made without spatial data, flood risk was poorly understood, and competing sectoral demands (agriculture, hydropower, domestic supply, ecology) were uncoordinated.

Our Solution

How TANGIS Delivered

TANGIS developed a hydrological model of the Rufiji Basin calibrated against 40 years of stream gauge data, and built a web-based decision support portal enabling water managers, planners, and policymakers to query flood risk, groundwater potential, and scenario-based water allocation impacts.

Deliverables

Calibrated hydrological model (SWAT+)
Flood inundation maps (12 return periods, 10–500 year)
Groundwater potential zone maps
Web-based decision support portal
Cross-sectoral water allocation model
Capacity building programme for water engineers

Technologies Used

SWAT+ hydrological modelArcGIS ProSentinel-1 SAR flood mappingNASA SRTM DEMPostgreSQL/PostGISDjango web portalMapLibre GLPython (pysheds, rasterio)

Project Tags

Hydrological ModelingRemote SensingGIS PortalClimateWater Management

Outcomes & Impact

Results Delivered

1

First basin-wide integrated hydrological model for the Rufiji, serving 8 government agencies

2

Flood risk maps used in 2023 flood emergency response — reducing estimated impact by directing resources to highest-risk zones

3

Groundwater potential maps identified 40+ viable drilling sites in previously unserved communities

4

Water allocation model facilitated resolution of a 5-year dispute between agricultural and hydropower water users

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TANGIS - GIS & ICT Solutions
TANGISGIS & ICT Solutions

Tanzania GIS & ICT Solutions (TANGIS) Limited

East Africa’s leading provider of geospatial intelligence, digital twins, drone mapping, and enterprise ICT solutions — empowering smarter decisions across Tanzania and beyond.

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+255 763 472 083

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info@tangis.co.tz

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Commitment

Innovation & Excellence
Integrity in Every Solution
Client-First Delivery

Sectors We Serve

  • Environment & Natural Resources
  • Infrastructure & Construction
  • Agriculture & Land Use
  • Government & Public Sector
  • Security & Emergency Management
  • Mining & Industrial

Ready to get started?

Talk to our geospatial experts today.

info@tangis.co.tz

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