WAFLEX is a

spreadsheet A spreadsheet is a computer application for computation, organization, analysis and storage of data in tabular form. Spreadsheets were developed as computerized analogs of paper accounting worksheets. The program operates on data entered in c ...

-based model. It can be used to analyse upstream-downstream interactions, dam management options and water allocation and development options.

Structure of the Model

WAFLEX is set up as a network, where each cell is river reach, demand node or reservoir. Each cell contains a simple formula to add water flowing into it from adjacent cells, and to subtract any demand connected to that cell. The network is set up twice, in demand mode and in supply mode. The inputs to WAFLEX are: * river inflow time series - source area of where the model starts * demand node time series, e.g. a settlement water supply * reservoir rule curves and dimensions * time series from gauges for calibration The outputs of WAFLEX are: * time series for specified points on the rivers - these can be calibrated against gauges * time series of abstractions and shortages for each demand node * time series of reservoir levels Code can be readily added to generate the above outputs graphically.

Application

WAFLEX has been applied extensively, especially in southern Africa and South America, including for: * Water allocation: between

Eswatini Eswatini, formally the Kingdom of Eswatini, also known by its former official names Swaziland and the Kingdom of Swaziland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by South Africa on all sides except the northeast, where i ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

and

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

on the transboundary Inkomati River, in the Conapu Basin in

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

, in the Thuli Basin,

Zimbabwe file:Zimbabwe, relief map.jpg, upright=1.22, Zimbabwe, relief map Zimbabwe, officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Bots ...

, and to model shortages and water allocation in the middle Heihe River in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. * Modelling environmental flow requirements of the Odzi River in

. * Modelling conjunctive use of groundwater and interbasin transfers in the

North China Plain The North China Plain () is a large-scale downfaulted rift basin formed in the late Paleogene and Neogene and then modified by the deposits of the Yellow River. It is the largest alluvial plain of China. The plain is bordered to the north by th ...

* Water quality modelling and mass balance of the Jubones River in

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

and the Kafue River in

Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...

.Mutale, M. 1994. ''Assessment of water resources with the help of water quality''. MSc thesis (unpublished), IHE-Delft, the Netherlands, rep. no. HH180.

References

{{Rivers, streams and springs Computer-aided engineering software Hydrology models

Structure of the Model

Application

See also

References