Modeling climate and land use change impacts on water resources and soil erosion in the Dano catchment (Burkina Faso, West Africa)

The study assesses the effect of climate and land use change on water resources and soil ero-sion in the Dano catchment, Burkina Faso. Field measurements and derived process under-standing are complemented by a physically based modeling approach that is also used to simu-late the impact of land use and climate change. Extensive hydro-meteorological (e. g. precipitation, discharge), pedological (e. g. texture, bulk density) and soil erosion measurements (e. g. suspended sediment load) are investigated to gain knowledge on governing hydrological and soil erosion processes. Data from erosion plot measurements suggest statistically significant differences of runoff and soil erosion between differently used plots. The data and the retrieved understanding are used to setup and drive the physically based spa-tially distributed hydrological and soil erosion model SHETRAN. Statistical performance measures (R², NSE, KGE) range between 0.66 and 0.8 for the calibration and validation of dis-charge. Achieved quality measures of suspended sediment load are lower than for hydrology but comparable to other SHETRAN studies. The impact of land use and land cover (LULC) change on water resources and soil erosion is studied by applying observed and modeled land use maps to the period 1990 – 2030. The past LULC change is studied using land use maps of the years 1990, 2000, 2007 and 2013. Based on these maps future LULC scenarios were developed for the years 2019, 2025 and 2030. Ob-served and modeled climate data cover the period 1990 – 2030. The observed past and modeled future LULC maps are used to feed SHETRAN. The isolated and combined influence of LULC and climate change is investigated. The land use investigation from 1990 to 2013 suggests a decrease of savanna at annual rates of 1.15% while cropland and settlement areas have increased. The simulations that assumed a constant climate and a changing LULC show in-creasing water yield (3.9% – 77.5%) and mainly increasing specific sediment yield (-1.4% – 115.78%). The simulations that assume constant LULC and climate as changing factor indicate increases in water yield of 24.5% to 46.7% and in sediment yield of 31.1% to 54.7%. The com-bined application of LULC and climate change signals a clear increase in water yield (20.3% – 73.4%) and specific sediment yield (24.7% to 90.1%). Actual evapotranspiration is estimated to change across all simulations by -6.8% to 3.35%. The predicted climate change signal is investigated in detail by comparing the future period 2021 – 2050 with the historical period 1971 – 2000. Representative concentration pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 of six datasets of the CORDEX framework were used to study the future change in tem-perature and precipitation. Most of the used climate models predict an increase of temperature between 0.9°C and 2.0°C. Large uncertainties among the climate models exist regarding the climate change signal of future precipitation. Some climate models predict an increase (5.9% – 36.5%) others a decreased (6.4% – 10.9%) or a mixed signal. The application of the historical and future climate data to SHETRAN shows that future changes in discharge and specific sedi-ment yield follow the predicted precipitation signal. Simulated future discharge change ranges from -43% to +207%. The future change in sediment yield is in the same order

The Balanced score-card for Start-Ups in Germany: a guideline for the implementation

As the title “The Balanced Scorecard for start-ups in Germany – A guideline for the implementation” suggests, the report is about developing a guideline for the implementation of the Balanced Scorecard in start-ups in Germany which is the main objective. In current literature, there is no approach for the implementation of a Balanced Scorecard in start-ups. The tool is too complex and time consuming and start-ups face many difficulties e.g. the strategic direction which the tool might prevent and resolve. By critically reviewing the appropriate literature on the implementation of the Balanced Scorecard into start-ups regarding controlling, Balanced Scorecard, the business lifecycle of start-ups and the difficulties start-ups face, secondary data sources are evaluated. Controlling is part of the management and supports the management in planning, controlling, coordinating and supplying of information. The Balanced Scorecard is a tool that measures, documents and manages activities of a company in regard to the vision and strategy. Thus, in theory, important management activities like strategic management and controlling are lacking. The current approach of implementing the Balanced Scorecard is not feasible for start-ups but the tool might prevent and resolve issues start-ups face. A step by step approach based on the stages start-ups pass through is developed. The fundamental research approach is supported by qualitative research in terms of desk research reviewing the literature of controlling, Balanced Scorecard, start-ups and difficulties of start-ups developing a theory using an inductive approach and by expert interviews testing the developed theory using a deductive approach. The interviews are analysed applying the Thematic analysis method and then compared to the developed theory. In the analysis and discussion, the lacking strategic management, the lacking controlling and various difficulties start-ups face could be identified. The Balanced Scorecard is feasible for start-ups, if an alternative approach is available. The tool prevents and resolves the difficulties start-ups face and a step by step approach of implementing the tool in start-ups based on the focus and the issues of the different stages in the start-up business lifecycle is developed

Applying SHETRAN in a Tropical West African Catchment (Dano, Burkina Faso)—Calibration, Validation, Uncertainty Assessment

This study presents the calibration and validation of the physically based spatially distributed hydrological and soil erosion model SHETRAN for the Dano catchment, Burkina Faso. A sensitivity analysis of six model parameters was performed to assess the model response and to reduce the number of parameters for calibration. The hydrological component was calibrated and validated using observed discharge data of two years. Statistical quality measures (R2, NSE, KGE) ranged from 0.79 to 0.66 during calibration and validation. The calibrated hydrological component was used to feed the erosion modeling. The simulated suspended sediment load (SSL) was compared with turbidity‐based measurements of SSL of two years. Achieved quality measures are comparable to other SHETRAN studies. Uncertainties of measured discharge and suspended sediment concentration were determined to assess the propagated uncertainty of SSL. The comparison of measurement uncertainties of discharge and SSL with parameter uncertainty of the corresponding model output showed that simulated discharge and SSL were frequently outside the large measured uncertainty bands. A modified NSE was used to incorporate measurement and parameter uncertainty into the efficiency evaluation of the model. The analyses of simulated erosion sources and spatial patterns showed the importance of river erosion contributing more than 60% to the total simulated sediment loss