US-Egypt Workshop: Water Resources and Environment Issues in Egypt, and Research Needs

Alabama A&M University, Normal AL

Investigators

Abstract

0345430 Coleman Description: This award is to support a "U.S.-Egypt Workshop on Water Resources and Environmental Issues in Egypt, and Research Needs" to be held in Cairo, Egypt in December 2003. The organizers are Dr. Tommy Coleman, Department of Soil Sciences at the Alabama A&M University and Dr. Mona El-Kady, Director, National Water Research Center (NWRC), Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, Cairo, Egypt. The objectives of this workshop are threefold; first, to identify research gaps that may exist in the water resources and environmental areas that could address pollution problems that threaten the sustainability of Egypt's natural resources. Second, to discuss state-of-the-art techniques and methodologies currently used to combat pollution that may be applicable, e.g., engineering approaches that are effective in environmental protection; remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS) applications in addressing environmental issues, and GIS-base environmental modeling tools. Finally, to identify long-term monitoring and decision support systems needed in the management of Egypt's water resources. The workshop will be organized in three major sessions. The first session will be comprised of two and half days of presentations and group discussions by the U.S. and Egyptian scientists addressing the current research gaps in the area of natural resources protection, environmental and water resources technologies for monitoring, assessing, and ameliorating polluted and degraded water bodies and landscapes. The second session will consist of a two and half days field trips and tours of selected areas that are identified as in need for immediate remediation, and areas that have been successfully protected and restored. The third session will be a one-day strategy session to identify a plan for addressing the primary research gaps and priorities identified in the area of water resources degradation and environmental protection in Egypt. Scope: This joint workshop is to identify research gaps in addressing the most serious environmental problems, such as shortage in water resources, water deterioration, coastal area soil erosion, and random urbanization environmental problem. It will focus on those problems that are in need of a suitable solution, feasible to complete and require joint cooperation between the two parties. A "Third International Symposium on Sustainable Agro-Environmental Systems: New Technologies and Applications" was conducted in Cairo, Egypt in October 2002. Problems discussed are common to Egypt and to many countries around the world. This workshop is an outgrowth of the discussions made by the PI and the Egyptian participants from Egypt's NWRC. The workshop results would lead to cooperative research of mutual benefits to the two countries. This project is being supported under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to carry out these joint scientific activities.