1. Conditions for entry in the database
Following conditions have to be met for a water body to be included in the inventory:
Both reservoirs and natural water bodies can be included in the inventory although some of the data will only be valid for reservoirs (e.g. dam wall height,…). These data are included because most of the SWB's are reservoirs which are susceptible to alterations (siltation, dam breaching,…). Note that the order of the variables is not always logical, the database has been enlarged historically and some variables have been added at the end. Every country can also select and arrange variables in relation with national priorities. ALCOM will then integrate these data in the SADC database.
2. Data included in the database
Part 1
These are the data that can often be collected from secondary sources without visiting the water bodies.
Letters in front of field name indicate column letter in spreadsheet. CW indicates the column width in the database. Some data (like elevation, district,…) can be deducted from overlay maps when exact coordinates are known. The most important data are given in bold.
| Col. | Variable | CW |
| A | Name of water body | 18 |
| B | Coordinates south (in deg, min and sec.) | 9 |
| C | Coordinates east or (in deg, min and sec.) | 9 |
| D | Province | 9 |
| E | District | 10 |
| F | Division | 9 |
| G | Country | 3 |
| H | Catchment area in km2 | 4 |
| I | Construction year | 4 |
| J | Mean Annual Rainfall Range Min of range(mm) | 4 |
| K | Mean Annual Rainfall Range Maximum of range (mm) | 4 |
| L | Soil type (Sand, gravel/Inorganic silt/inorganic clay/Inorganic clay/Loess/Organic silt/Organic clay/Peat, Groups to be defined) | 1 |
| M | Altitude Min of range (m above sea level) | 4 |
| N | Altitude Maximum of range (m above sea level), if exact alt. is known then M=N | 4 |
| O | Full Supply Surface area (ha) | 6 |
| P | Full supply Capacity (in m3) | 10 |
| Q | Permanent/seasonal (Seasonal if dries up at least once per 10 years) (P/S) | 1 |
| R | Maximum depth (m) | 5 |
| S | Average depth (m) | 4 |
| T | Date of record | 9 |
| U | Index in national database | 12 |
| V | Type of ownership (State=S Private=P Communal=C) | 1 |
| W | Main use (code 1–8), (Domestic water supply W =1, irrigation W=2, livestock watering W=3, municipal water supply W=4, brick construction W=5, industry W=6, fishing W=7, others W=8) | 1 |
