ABSTRACT
ORSTOM–IRD, a French research institution, has contributed during 80 years to the observation of various components of the hydrological cycle in diverse low-latitude
regions. Initially devoted to the monitoring of large river systems in Africa, ORSTOM–
IRD hydrologists started to instrument small catchments during the 1950s to address
technical needs for developing infrastructures, with the aim of better understanding the
processes controlling the local water cycle in various environments. Since the early
1990s ORSTOM–IRD hydrologists have been actively involved in so-called ‘Regional
Hydroclimatology Projects’ (RHPs), which are large international programs intended to
decipher the interactions between land surfaces and the atmosphere in tropical
environments. Long-term observing programs arose from the RHPs and they now
constitute a key tool for monitoring the evolution of the hydrological cycle in regions
where safe access to water is still not guaranteed and threatened by the impacts of global
change.
Keywords: Low-latitude, hydro-meteorological processes, hydrological engineering,
monitoring and databases, capacity building
doi: 10.17704/1944-6187-44.2.614