The data set contains grain size distributions, organic matter (OM) contents and trace metals distribution metal distribution (Fe, Zn, Cu, Cr and Pb) of seven (7) shallow cores of sediments from the Notwane Dam (southern Botswana). The cores have been collected with a push corer using PVC pipes of 5 cm diameter by a team from BIUST led by Dr. Franchi between November 2017 and February 2018. The data were collected as part of the PULA project, which aimed at understanding the immediate effect of heavy rainfall and floods on water resources in arid Botswana and their transitional hydrologic readjustment towards the dry period, and the role of these events in supporting either or both resources replenishment and contamination. Grain size profiles of the cores have been obtained by analyzing wet sediments with a laser diffraction particle size analyzer. The OM content of the sediments was obtained by measuring the loss on ignition (LOI) of bulk sediments after calcination in a muffle furnace. The sediments have been analyzed for trace metal distribution using a Microwave Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometer (MP-AES). The grain size distribution has allowed to pinpoint the presence of flood couplets, characterized by coarse lags followed by fine grained materials. The trace metal distribution profiles have been compared with the flood couplets to assess the entity of metal mobilization during floods and subsequent droughts. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/022b3fff-55d7-46f5-b11f-2f7366e508b0

The dataset contains concentrations of Total Organic Carbon, Chloride, Fluoride, Bromine, Sulfate, Potassium, Aluminium, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Sodium, Phosphorus, Chromium, Manganese, Cobalt, Nickel, Copper, Zinc, Arsenic, Selenium, Molybdenum, Cadmium, Lead and stable water isotopes (δD and δ18O) for 25 groundwater and surface water sampling locations, surveyed over the period February 2017 to May 2018 immediately following Dineo floods. The data were collected as part of the PULA project, which aimed at understanding the immediate effect of heavy rainfall and floods on water resources in arid Botswana and their transitional hydrologic readjustment towards the dry period, and the role of these events in supporting either or both resources replenishment and contamination. The project was co-ordinated by the University of Aberdeen, with partners at the Botswana International University of Science and Technology, the Government of Botswana Department of Water Affairs, and the International Water Management Institute. The project was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council as part of its Urgency grants scheme. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/c7793128-1961-45d5-aa18-5f023116784b

The dataset contains a scaled, semi-quantitative conceptual hydrogeological model of the Gaborone catchment along a general WSW-ENE direction including; (1) the geographic coordinates of the extremities of each segment of the polyline transect; (2) the raster, scaled image of the conceptual hydrogeological cross-section. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/4731c4da-91fc-4762-9c17-74c8749d4227

The data set contains grain size distributions, organic matter (OM) content and trace metal distribution (including Fe, Zn, Cu, Cr and Pb) of 37 shallow cores of sediments sampled from dams across the Limpopo River Basin. The dams include: Gaborone, Lotsane and Shashe dams in Botswana; Houtrivier, Nwanedi and Mutshedzi dams in South Africa; Ripple Creek and Zhovhe dams in Zimbabwe; and Massingir Dam in Mozambique. Data from two cores sampled from an oxbow lake in Mozambique are also included. The cores were collected with a gravity corer using PVC pipes of 5 cm diameter by a team from Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) led by Dr. Franchi between July 2018 and April 2021. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/b8db8239-3bde-454a-aa75-d1cec24c8763