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Description
Over 2600 global sites are represented in the source CPEP compilation, from which this dataset extracts a subset for southern Africa. It provides monthly mean river discharge in cubic meters per second, compiled from sources including RivDis 2.0, USGS, and the Brazilian National Department of Water and Electrical Energy. The data excludes stations with less than 3 years of record or basin areas under 5000 km².
Use Cases
Analyzing long-term hydrological variability in southern African rivers based on monthly discharge records.
Validating regional climate or hydrological models using observed river discharge time-series data.
Studying the relationship between climate patterns and surface water availability from multi-source compiled data.
Assessing water resource trends in major river basins (≥5000 km²) over variable time periods.
Strengths
Compiles data from multiple authoritative sources, including RivDis 2.0, USGS, and a Brazilian national agency.
Applies consistent quality filters, excluding stations with under 3 years of data or basin areas below 5000 km².
Has a broad temporal scope, with individual station records ranging from 3 to over 100 years.
Limitations
Documentation is explicitly noted as unavailable for this dataset; users must refer to original data providers.
Conflicting metadata exists: one platform lists a last update in 2026, while another indicates 1999, creating uncertainty about data currency.
The specific column schema and the exact number of stations in the southern Africa subset are not provided.
Provenance
Source
Climate, People, and Environment Program (CPEP) global river discharge compilation, sourced from RivDis 2.0, United States Geological Survey (USGS), and Brazilian National Department of Water and Electrical Energy.
Collection Method
Compilation and subsetting of monthly mean discharge data from existing global hydrological databases.
Time Range
Variable by station, ranging from 3 years to over 100 years.
Freshness
2026-04-09 22:48:19.145445
Geography
Southern Africa (specific subset of a global dataset with over 2600 sites).
License is listed as 'other-license-specified'; users should verify terms with the data originators. The dataset is provided in ASCII format.