Title: Study of the Weather and Climate Variability Over Lake Victoria Basin and Applications to Decision-Making (slides)
Abstract: The shores of Lake Victoria are the most densely populated areas in East Africa and the region has one of the highest urbanization growth rates in the world. It is thus experiencing very rapid development of infrastructure. The lake, which has a unique water balance dominated by on-lake rainfall and evaporation, has undergone major changes in recent recorded history. On weather time-scales extreme and explosive hazardous weather conditions result in several thousands of deaths over the lake every year. Under climate change most climate projection models indicate that East Africa will get much wetter but a few models exhibit the opposite trend. Our study uses a suite of statistical tools and methods, in combination with physical models, to generate insight and metrics relevant to social-economic sectors in the region including lake navigation safety, transport, coastal settlements and hydropower (HEP).
Biography
Dr. Fredrick Semazzi is an Emeritus Professor, North Carolina State University. Previously he was a lecturer in the department of meteorology, Univ. of Nairobi, Kenya; Post-Doc & Research Associate Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, USA; Associate Program Director, National Science Foundation (NSF) Climate Dynamics, USA; Founding Director of Climate Information & Prediction Services Program of the World Meteorological Organization at the UN, Geneva Switzerland; Senior Scientist, World Climate Research Program (WCRP) CLIVAR International Project Office, Southampton, England; March 2009 received certificate of special recognition from Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman of IPCC, for distinguished contribution resulting in the award of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 to the IPCC. Served as member of the Joint Scientific Committee (JSC) of the World Climate Research Program (WCRP; 2009-2011). Developer of the Hydroclimate project for Lake Victoria (HYVIC) Regional Hydroclimate Project (https://www.gewex.org/hyvic/). Directed over 20 Masters and PhD degree theses. Authored over sixty scientific publications & directed 12 research grants with total funding of more than $25 million. Received the 2012 North Carolina State University Outstanding Global Engagement Award.
