Environmental assessment using satellite-based data analytics at Cahora Bassa reservoir, Mozambique

The Cahora Bassa hydropower scheme includes one of the three major dams on the Zambezi river and it is the largest hydroelectric powerplant in southern Africa. Its construction created a huge artificial lake, the Cahora Bassa reservoir, with a length of 270 km and a maximum width of 30 km. This paper uses water quality data from satellites to show the spatial distribution of high sediment loads, traceable on their way through the reservoir. In addition, detailed environmental assessments are presented of emerging algal blooms that have been located and remotely tracked. Annual patterns are becoming visible, with satellite imagery proving a powerful tool to observe spatio-temporal changes.