UNESCO | Chair in Water Resources

Introduction

(UNESCO-CWR) was founded in 1994 following the agreement signed by the UNESCO Director General and the Vice Chancellor of the Omdurman Islamic University on behalf of the Sudan Government.

The UNEDCO-CWR is a regional Chair that serves the Nile Basin and Shared Aquifer Countries in the region. Furthermore, it has its International contributions in Water Resources and related fields.

The main objectives of the UNESCO-CWR are to promote integrated research systems, capacity building, information transfer, consultancy, awareness and documentation & dissemination of critical issues in water resources and related fields.

Another prime objective of the UNESCO-CWR is to facilitate and coordinate research collaboration between Universities and research institutions nationally and regionally.

UNESCO-CWR, in meeting its goals, created four working themes that address the above objectives. These themes are: Research studies, Capacity Building, Collaboration & Networking, Consultancy and Documentation & Dissemination of findings.

Research Projects

UNESCO-CWR conducts research studies in the area of water resources planning, development and management and related issues locally, regionally and internationally. The research topics are always selected to meet the society needs.

Capacity Building

UNESCO-CWR offers several Capacity Building programmes in collaboration with Omdurman Islamic University, University of Khartoum, Sudan University and other relevant Institutes and Universities Nationally and Regionally. The objective is to enhance the development of human resources as first step towards institutional build up.

The UNESCO-CWR provides advanced capacity building programmes at postgraduate level leading to M.Sc. in Hydrology, M.Sc. and Diploma in Water Resources Development and Management.

The UNESCO-CWR also offers postgraduate studies leading to Ph.D. degrees by research and a non-degree professional short training courses specifically designed to suit institutional needs in the field of water.

UNESCO-CWR meets the community needs for scientific advice by highlighting problems of specific interest at the right time through public lectures for increased community awareness.

The UNESCO-CWR provides training and expertise on some specific softwares like Arcview GIS, Watershed Modeling System WMS, Surface water Modeling System SMS, Visual mudflow, Galway Flow Forecasting System (GFFS), etc.

Collaboration and Networking

The collaboration and networking programmes were designed to strengthen the institutional interrelations among the different institutions in the country, region and worldwide to provide grounds for exchanging experience. Accordingly, the Chair started to formulate networks within the region to serve this purpose and participate in other regional and international network programmes. A list of such networks follows

· UNESCO-CWR Networking Efforts

· Friend Nile Networking Project

· Nile Basin Capacity Building Network for River Engineering (NBCBN-RE) Network.

· Groundwater Protection Network in the Arab Region (GWPN).

· Wadi Hydrology Network in the Arab Region (WHN).

· Arab Network for Water Researchers.

· Consultive Group for International Agriculture Research (CGIAR).

· International Network for Capacity Building in IWRM (Cap-net).

· TIGER Initiative

· SWMnet/IMWI

· HELP Programme.

· Nile Basin Initiative, NBI, in applied training and research studies.

Documentation & Dissemination

This is an effort to consolidate the research findings and disseminate it to impart the knowledge and raise the public awareness.

This objective is met through workshops, conferences and seminars conducted by UNESCO-CWR, Public lectures and publications

Publications

As an effort to disseminate and consolidate the findings UNESCO-CWR publishes technical reports reviewed by its Academic and Research Advisory Board, academic reports in forms of dissertations and thesis in “partial” fulfillment of the requirement for the M.Sc. and Ph.D. Degrees, conference & journal papers, Man-scripts and proceedings

It should be noted that the publications of the UNESCO-CWR is increasing steadily.

Consultancy

The UNESCO-CWR meet the need for expertise in the real world by providing consultancy services. Several water-related consultancy projects were done annually.

UCWR facilities

The UNESCO-CWR has it own Headquarters. It is considered by the Omdurman Islamic University as a separate Institute. It has good logistics and well equipped with computers, plotters, digitizers, printers, lecture rooms, projectors, etc. It has a good library and a decent computer lab with sufficient computers well connected in a network with direct access to Internet and a video Conference hall. Also it has water quality laboratory for water quality management from physical, chemical and biological points of views.

The UNESCO-CWR is backed up by all the related governmental and private sectors, morally and financially.

Awards and Recognitions

In recognition to its excellent performance in the field of water resources and capacity building, UNESCO-CWR was awarded the UNESCO UNITWIN Distinction Award-UNESCO-HQ-Paris, November. 2002.

Appreciation award for outstanding performance and distinguished efforts, The National Water Research Centre.

Academic staff

Abdalla A. Ahmed, Ph.D, Professor and Director of the UNESCO-CWR: Irrigation management, sedimentation, water resources planning & management.

Seghairoon E. Seghairoon, M.Sc, Professor: Irrigation and water management specialist.

Ahmed M. Siyam, Ph.D, Assistant Professor: Hydrologist and Water Resources Specialist.

Kamaluddin E. Bashar, Ph.D, Associate Professor: Hydrologist and Water Resources Specialist.

Abdalla Altom, Ph.D, Assistant Prof Hydrogeolgist.

Siddig E. A., Ph.D, Professor, Water resources specialist.

Muna Mohamed Musnad, M.Sc, Water Resources Specialist.

Haga O. Mohamed, Ph. D, Water supply & sanitation specialist.

Usama Hamid A. Elhag, M.Sc, Water Quality

Rihab H. Bayoumi,M.Sc, Water Resources Specialist.

Ishragha Sir Elkhatim Osman, M.Sc, Water Resources Specialist.

Elgaily Mohamed Ahmed, M.Sc, Surfacewater Specialist.

Tarig Amer Abdalla, M.Sc, Environmental Engineering.

Anees A. Satti, M.Sc, Water Quality-Chemistry.

Fida A. Bukhari, M. Sc Water Quality-Microbiology.

Hassan Fadl, Ph.D, Professor: Agriculture and Land Resources Specialist.

Osman A., Ph.D, Assistant Professor: GIS and Remote Sensing Specialist.

Gamal M. Abdo, Ph.D, Associate Professor:

Groundwater specialist.

Abass Abdalla Ibrahim, Ph. D, Professor, River Engineering.

Sami Haj, Elkhidir Ph. D, Assistant Professor, Hydrogeologist.

More than 50 Collaborators from National, Regional and international Universities and Institutes.

This lab. offer services for student ,researches as well as (NGOS).

The lab is also appended with a portable field kits with all necessary equipment needed for the fields works.

Facilities

· Well equipped computer laboratory with more than 30 PC network.

· Advanced Video Conference Hall

· Large Format Digitizer A0.

· Large Format plotter A0.

· A number of professionals of RS, GIS and navigation software (ENVI 4.2, ERDAS IMAGINE 8.7, PCI Geomatica 9.1, ArcVIEW 3.2a, ArcGIS 9.1, and TTQV4).

· Handheld GPS

· Full coverage of Digital remote sensed imageries includes Land sat MSS, TM5 and ETM+7 for the whole Sudan.

· Full coverage of digital topography of SRTM data for the whole Sudan

· Various topographic sheets.

· Terameter SAS 4000 for Geophysical Investigation

· Well equipped and advanced Library

This leaflet gives an overview of the consultancy services provided by the UNESCO-CWR. UNESCO-CWR offers consultancy services in several field of water resources. The following are some areas of the consultancy services of the UNESCO-CWR:

Water Resources Development and Management

· Design, Operation and Maintenance guides in Drinking Water Stations

· Design and Maintenance of Water Supply Networks

· Rain and Wastewater Drainage Systems (Design, Operation and Maintenance)

· Management of Natural Disasters ( Floods and Droughts)

· Design Flows and seizing of water facilities and structures

· Towards Improved Irrigation Systems (Design, Operation and maintenance)

· Sediment control and management

· Design of Hydrologic Networks

· Design and Operation of Pumping Stations

· Integrated Water Resources Management Approach (Situation Analysis)

· Water Harvesting (Systems Design, Operation and Management)

Remote Sensing & GIS centre (Geoinformation Centre)

Remote Sensing and GIS Centre is one of cornerstone sections of the UNESCO-CWR. It has great facilities, capabilities and experts.

Capabilities:

· Conduct various remote sensing and GIS studies for various application in engineering and natural resources studies (geological, hydrogeological, hydrological, geotechnical and environmental impact assessment investigations) as well as other Water sector and expertise.

· Provide various digital satellite imageries and maps in various color combination and scale, (hard copy or softcopy).

· Provide various topographic working sheets for different areas in various scales.

· Provide decision making scenarios

Courses:

Organization of different levels courses in:

· Remote Sensing (principles and concepts, digital image processing).

· ‘‘GIS’’ Geographic Information System courses (level I, level II and level III)

· Training on GPS-Laptop navigation system.

Groundwater field

Groundwater exploration:

In this field of study, the package of exploration methods will be applied such as:

· Remote sensing applications

· Geological methods

· Structural analysis method

· Hydro geological methods

· Geophysical methods

Groundwater Assessment and Evaluation:

This will deals with the following items;

· storage capacity of the groundwater aquifers

· recharge-discharge balance

· groundwater parameters

· groundwater flow regimes

Environmental Impact Assessment:

In this area of studies the impact on water resources due to the human activities will be studied and modeled;

· Over exploitation of groundwater due to pumping

· human waste pollution

· Agricultural activities (pesticides & fertilizers)

· industrial pollution

These will be enhanced with pollutant transport model

Water Quality Lab:

The lab has been equipped with the most essential and advanced instruments for analyzing the physicochemical and microbiological parameters of :

· Drinking Water

· Bottled water

· Industrial waste water

· Sewage waste water

· Industrial processing water

This lab offers the analysis services for undergraduate student, researchers and others.

Contacts:

P.O. Box 1244 Khartoum 11111, Sudan

Tel: (+249 11) 779599 or 776884 or 786770

Fax: (+249 11) 797758

Web site: www.ucwr-sd.org

Email: ucwr@ucwr-sd.org

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