The central objective of the GLOWA Volta Project (GVP) is the analysis of the physical and socio-economic determinants of the hydrological cycle in the Volta Basin in the face of global change. Based on this, the project aims at the establishment of a scientifically sound Decision Support System (DSS) for water resource management that has been adequately tested. The overall time frame envisaged for this is nine years.

The central objective of the GLOWA Volta Project (GVP) is the analysis of the physical and socio-economic determinants of the hydrological cycle in the Volta Basin in the face of global change. Based on this, the project aims at the establishment of a scientifically sound Decision Support System (DSS) for water resource management that has been adequately tested. The project's first phase (GVP I, May 2000-April 2003) focused on the development of conceptual frameworks, feasibility studies and initial model runs, as well as on capacity building. Field work started with a first set of Ph.D. students and the permanent staff. The project was organized along the three clusters 'Atmosphere', 'Land Use', and 'Water Use'. In the second phase (GVP II, May 2003 - May 2006), the three clusters from the first phase were supplemented by a fourth cluster on 'Technical Integration and Decision Support'. The four strategic goals for this phase were: (1) Finishing what was started in GVP I, (2) Inclusion/Project coverage of Burkina Faso, (3) Technical integration of project components, (4) Development of a prototype DSS. The GVP is in its third phase (GVP III, June 2006 - May 2009), which is geared towards the synthesis of the research, capacity building, and the transfer of decision support tools, and knowledge. The GLOWA Volta Project is part of the larger GLOWA Program, which is financed by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research, with additional funding from the Ministry of Innovation, Science, Research and Technology of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.