Arab Republic of Egypt

Cairo University – Prof. Dr. Mohamed Fahmy Hussein

Toward an Integrated Use of Water Resources in Egypt forToward an Integrated Use of Water Resources in Egypt for thethe 2121stst CenturyCentury

Proposal by

Prof.Prof. Dr.Dr. MohamedMohamed FahmyFahmy MohamedMohamed HusseinHussein

SoilSoil andand WaterWater Depart, FacultyDepart, Faculty ofof Agriculture, Cairo UniversityAgriculture, Cairo University

Toward an Integrated Use of Water Resources in Egypt forToward an Integrated Use of Water Resources in Egypt for thethe 2121stst CenturyCentury

Mohamed Fahmy Hussein

Abstrac t

Water resources management is a most important question of national security in Egypt since the country is quasi-totally depends on the unique water-offer source available that is the River Nile. Maximization of water-offer and minimization of water-demand are the logic concepts of any action plan that would tackle the issue in an effective way. However, the classic administration in Egypt does not go far away from the routine work concept, except in rare cases. This leads to losing the power of the nation to deal with the new concepts and novel solutions.

The present proposal introduces the application of a set of modern technologies that would actively participate in handling the water crisis in the country, and provides an innovative vision through the proposed solutions toward the integration of the use of surface and groundwater resources in the country. Moreover, it introduces a new concept to increase the national water-offer and decrease the national water-demand in order to create a balance between them in Egypt, throughout the 21st century.

This original concept includes the management of the nation’s surface and groundwater resources, the implementation of new source of energy to help in enhancing the water inflow into the country, the performance of non-conventional experimental work and lab measurements for testing and validating the projected approaches. Last but not the least the whole package is based on the conjunctive use of a set of new concepts, computer modeling, data collection and processing.

The future needs of Egypt for additional and free of pollution water are beyond the present day scope of the relevant governmental services. Consequently, a rather revolutionary methodology must find a room. Only university research teamwork might be charged to get a scientific look on the subject for generating a quit integrated package of water-use solutions in Egypt for the 21st century.

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Introduction and BackgroundEgypt is probably a unique exception “among the scarce-water countries” worldwide

as it is the most arid country on Earth, with very scant precipitation. However, an intrusive river, the River Nile, has ever completely changed the nature of the water “Offer-Demand” equation in the nation since the dawn of the History.

The Nile was not the unique source that made the life in Egypt but also the genuine management of the Nile-water and the Nile alluvial soils by the ancient Egyptians that created a rather distinctive nation. So not only, as Herodotus wrongly said long ago, that Egypt is the “Gift of the Nile” but Egypt is also the gift of the Egyptians. The evidence is that other countries have rivers that are probably greater (in terms of discharge) than the Nile but they did nothing with their rivers during the human history.

Despite the fact that the Nile, compared with other large rivers of the world, started to have a rather modest discharge since the advent of the Holocene (when the Egyptian population has displaced from the adjacent lands that became a part of the arid-hot Great Desert) the population of the country mostly enjoyed a surplus of water resources on the banks of that river during its long history.

However, with frequent acute, positive or negate, changes in the Nile discharge - roughly once per decade - around its annual mean (~ 90 billion m3) a great deal of worry always existed in the country as a result of the destructive nature of the high floods and/or the severe water shortages. Due to the lack of appropriate technology, the historic attempts to completely control the Nile discharge has ever ended-up by failure to the extent that the ancient Egyptians have formerly attributed the caprices of the river to impulsive divine charisma of power.

By the year 1970, the discharge of the Nile into Egypt was finally entirely controlled, for the first time in the history, with the completion of the High-Dam (that started 9 years earlier) at Aswan, in the south of the country. By that epoch, the Egyptian population was just only about 35million people.

By the start of the 21st century the nation’s population jumped to ~80million people, and the country currently has an enormous need for a water supply that greatly exceeds its annual share (of 55.5 billion m3) in the Nile (as fixed by the International Nile-Water Agreement, signed at the onset of the 20th century by the 9 Nile-Basin Countries.) The critical water-poverty limit (1000m3/year) has greatly surpassed three decades ago, leaving a very narrow margin of maneuver for the classic management of the water resources in a country that depends almost entirely on the Nile for every aspect of life activities. At present, the country requires >75 billion m3 of water a year in order to satisfy the internal demand for all purposes.

Evidently, water management in Egypt is the most important “national-security issue” since it is, simply, a question of life or death. Even with the full-control of the river discharge at Aswan, forty years ago, many additional measures have had always been undertaken to fill the ever-widening gap between the water-offer and the water-demand in the country.

Consequently, an integrated use of the water resources is a continual effort that should, by no means, be ended-up. Each serious single idea, useful concept or new approach should be looked-at, reviewed, studied, experimented, and finally installed, if it was shown to be applicable and beneficial to increase the water offer and/or to reduce the water demand, or both, in the country.

Surface-water resources are mostly appreciated since they are, clearly, readily-available, greatly guaranteed and highly assured. However, they are vulnerable to pollution problems Groundwater resources, on the contrary, are much less appreciated due to several

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issues related to its lack of availability, modest quality and questionable renewability. However, they are mostly far from being victim of pollution

Most of the groundwater resources in a river-basin are renewable through bank-recharge and irrigation and return-flow. However, such GW may be exploited only at a certain cost (e.g. the costs of studies, the costs of well digging, and the costs to cover the daily expenses used to generate the power needed for groundwater uplifting, etc...)

The groundwater resources in the deserts of Egypt are, in most cases, exclusively non-renewable. Despite being very huge in its total volume, any renewable groundwater reservoir should be exploited either ad hoc (without planning) or correctly managed according to rigorous rules based on its annual recharge-rate (for the renewable aquifers). The Nile Delta aquifer is unconfined to the south - at the delta apex and middle – but confined at the north (with a saline groundwater wedge from the Mediterranean Sea.) For the non-renewable groundwater (like that of the Great Desert) the aquifer management is based on a set of optional and operational GW pumping policies that must accept certain draw-down in the piezometric levels.

Outside the Nile valley and delta in Egypt, the vast Egyptian deserts have groundwater resources that are, to a large-extent, still under investigation. However, they are mostly believed to be non-renewable. The coastal-areas of the deserts of the country, in particular on the Mediterranean, receive rather trivial annual rainfall that is already locally used and typically requires complementary irrigation that depends on pumping water from the fragile fresh groundwater cone from the coastal aquifers which are modestly replenished through local precipitation and floating on the saline seawater wedge.

Non-conventional water resources mainly include the recycling of the urban-zone and industry wastewater, the reuse of agricultural drainage water and the desalination of ocean-water. The good management of water resources mostly consists of maximizing the water-offer and minimizing the water-demand.

The optimization of the water-demand implicitly means decreasing the water-transportation losses and other water misuses (e.g. the practice of crop patterns and the agricultural rotations that consume too much irrigation-water in the rural zones and the poor efficiency in the transportation of the drinking-water lines in the urban zones.)

The maximization of the water-offer in Egypt would pass by looking for the recycling of the agricultural drainage water and other waste-waters nation-wide, planning for receiving additional water from the Nile (however this target includes the river upper-reaches lying far outside the country.)

The integrated management of water resource should, evidently never be only considered based on the quantitative aspects (related only to the water discharge) but also it must rely on issues related to water quality parameters, i.e. the chemistry and microbiology of water. The outstanding example is the ocean-water that is the greatest water-reservoir on Earth. Its very high salt-content mostly prevents its direct-use.

Pollutants of several kinds are a direct menace to the reuse of the wastewater. Pollution-related problems are constantly increasing everywhere in the world due to agricultural and urban origins. Combating pollution and removing pollutants are two integral parts of any fine water-management policy. Modern technology offers an interesting chance for removing pollutants at greater scales than was the case few decades ago.

Problem DescriptionSince the very start of Ancient Egypt, water management was the main axis of every

aspect of life for the Egyptian farmers who were responsible of giving support to all activities of existence in the country, from building pyramids to going to war. So, the issue of water

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management was the major concern around which they made their rural affiliations in order to nicely go through with that strong river that flooded their lands about a couple of months, once each year. Before the annual flood they have to re-build and reinforce the surface basins in their fields in order to receive the floods and to compel the water to stay in a given southern-field, for sometime, before draining it away into a northern-basin and so on, and they worked out the soil surface into channels that carry the irrigation water to their small parcels etc. This is just to mention few of the early methods the ancient Egyptians tried out in order to master the Nile water. In addition, one of the genuine water management examples the history retained was storing the excess of Nile water during the high-flood years, in the Fayoum Depression.

By the 19th century the country introduced the” perennial-irrigation system” in order to cultivate the alluvial soils of Egypt twice per year instead of once per year as it was the case along all the ancient history. With that major Nile water-use transformation the nation has seen a chief-step in water management through the implementation of a series of barrages that were built allover the country to artificially raise the water-level in the main water-distribution-channels to facilitate the irrigation of the relatively high-leveled soils during Nile low-stage

By the completion of the High Dam by the year 1970, the country seemed exhausting all its possible measures that can be undertaken towards a full Nile-water management. However, with the demographic explosion, throughout the last 4 decades, the concept of an integrated water-use has had to be revisited.

Nowadays, we have to tackle a multi-dimensional problem. The theoretical water-poverty limit has been largely surpassed and water quality is already menaced by ever increasing pollution events, whereas the water-demand is blowing up nation-wide.

Consequently, a net set of concepts must be viewed, examined and worked out. One of the extreme solutions is that of practicing agricultural activities outside the country across its borders. One may ask the question what is the benefit of such hysteric solution. The answer is simple. Each crop has its water-consumption equivalent (in terms of the water used to cultivate it and to grow it up.) However, the economic value of the different crops is also highly different. If Egypt went to cultivate some crops outside its borders (in particular in African countries south of the Great Desert, where rainfall is high enough and the local populations almost do not make any use of that quite abundant water resources) the country would save its Nile water for the cultivation of crops of very high economic value. Let us give an example; the clover that Egypt cultivates for feeding its animal-wealth might be cultivated (or one of its equivalents) in a rainy country south the Great Desert in order to save the huge amount of water used each year inside Egypt to cultivate the Egyptian clover.

Another revolutionary concept that receives little or no attention is to make use of the high exposure of the country to the saline water of the Mediterranean through the installation of huge water desalination-planets that work with the atomic energy and the desalinated water might be used even for irrigation. Up till now, the desalinated water is used only to satisfy the water requirements of some urban-zones in some countries of the Arab Region but not for irrigation. However, the issue in Egypt is really very crucial and such a “crazy” concept of the “desalination for irrigation” should not be any more neglected through the claim based on the extensive costs. Look, we all know that the barrel of mineral water is more costly than the barrel of crud oil. However, the market of the bottled mineral and natural-water is ever exploding. Egypt has very recently taken the decision to built 8 nuclear energy stations on the coast of its Mediterranean coast; primarily for generating electricity. We might not be too far dreaming if we imagine that one day the country would construct other nuclear stations for the desalination of seawater for agricultural purposes.

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An integrated management of water resources does not only mean efficiently using what we already have in hand but also looking forward for further acquisitions even if other might consider that as seeing too far in the future after tomorrow. This far-term planning is not yet inscribed in the Egyptian way of thinking about our natural resources. It is the very time to start right away for changing the current things. Only a university may go ahead and make the required breakthrough.

ObjectivesThe objectives of the current proposal may be summed-up in the following

statements:1) To better define the actual needs of Egypt in terms of water supply for the next decade

and to project the trend further far into the future for the year 2050 according to the expected growth of the population and the land to be irrigated.

2) To make a scenario for the prospection of the enhancement of the Nile water discharging into Egypt through possible hydraulic projects on the upper reaches of the river outside the country

3) To verify the present-day available data on the water balance of the groundwater for the Nile valley and delta in Egypt.

4) To use the isotope hydrology techniques for improving our knowledge on the replenished groundwater resources in the Nile valley and delta in Egypt.

5) To simulate the salt-mass balance and the possible displacement of the saline groundwater wedge in the northern zone of the Nile Delta under different groundwater pumping scenarios from that unconfined to semi-confined aquifer.

6) To introduce a view of how to manage a potential supply of irrigation water from nuclear power stations

7) To introduce a conceptual model for the most efficient program for pumping fossil groundwater in the Nubian sandstone aquifer of the western desert.

8) To run a catastrophic pollution-plume scenario of groundwater and how to tackle the problem in case it would happen.

9) To initiate a hydraulic model for improved irrigation according to soil type both reducing the required discharge and improving the irrigation water quality in the irrigated fields and in the unsaturated zone.

10) To test the currently practiced recycling of the used water in the country.11) To consider the annual water discharge that wrongly goes to irrigate lands designated

for the enjoyment of a so little fraction of the population; like the golf terrains in the new urban zones.

12) To consider the scenario of practing agriculture outside the borders of the country in terms of its impact on reducing the national demand on the irrigation water and improving the national income.

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Approach and MethodsFor carrying out our proposal we will adopt the forecasting and modeling methods as

well as the lab and field experimental work:

1) Making use of the modern developments in the hydrologic models that treat with the large-scale river basin resources for the implementation of digital model for the Nile water based on the available national data in the nine Nile-basin countries.

2) Running computer models for the simulation of groundwater flow and chemistry for the Nile delta and valley.

3) Applying a model for the salinity build-up in the Nile delta groundwater aquifer basin through irrigation return-flow and other sources.

4) Calculation of the nuclear energy required for seawater desalination for the irrigation of an additional one million Faddan.

5) To performing laboratory work, field experiment and computerized simulations for the use of high-end techniques for the recycling the wastewater.

6) To test the potential use of the reverse osmosis for removing water pollutants.7) To get some isotope-hydrology analytical data on the groundwater resources of the

country through the isotope laboratories of the Authority of Nuclear Energy (ANE) in Egypt, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in California, USA, including the environmental stable and radioactive isotopes.

Action Plan1) Collection of the historical and the most recent data on the River Nile discharge in

relation to the total Nile basin water resources as a preparation of the application of a model for the Nile water offer development through the implementation of new set of hydraulic projects in the upper reaches of the river to finally increase the Nile-water discharge into Egypt.

2) To study the potential alternatives for the proper management of Lake Nasser bank storage in order to introduce a set of measures for its integrated modification to reduce the overall water-losses through evaporation.

3) Collecting the available hydraulic and chemical data on the aquifers of the Nile delta and valley for the application of an integrated management of surface and groundwater resources in the each of these two regions.

4) Creating connections with the relevant authorities for elaboration of a plan for the potential use of the nuclear energy of the nuclear power stations – that should be soon installed to the west of Alexandria – for providing desalinated water suitable for irrigation in the forthcoming decade or later on. The costs of the this ambitious dream will be for sure included but by no means should it stand against that strategic choice since the country will be soon in real trouble if no more additional water-offer cannot be integrated into the present-day supply to tackle the ever increasing water-demand in the country.

6) Running experimental work on the potential and limits of waste-water recycling in order to increase the water-offer and improving the global water-use efficiency in Egypt.

7) Carrying out experimental work on the potential large-scale application of the reverse osmosis technique for the removal of pollutants out form waste water.

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9) Sampling some selected groundwater pumping-wells in the Nile delta basin for the measurement of their environmental isotope contents in order to integrate these isotopic data into the hydrochemical model of the Nile Delta aquifer to improve our knowledge about the aquifer parameters that should by implemented in an integral use of the local surface and groundwater resources.

Expected OutcomesThe outputs of the proposed research work could be outline in the following items:

1) Obtaining a better estimate for the water demand in Egypt for the next 50 years.2) Revising the Nile-basin countries water demand and cooperation for increasing the

Nile water input into Egypt.3) Getting a conceptual and a digital model for water-balance of the Nile delta and valley

groundwater.4) Attaining a conceptual and a digital model for salt-balance of the Nile delta and valley

groundwater including crisis management if, potentially, a large-scale pollution- event might take place.

4) Introducing an environmental isotope-hydrology data set for the Nile delta and valley groundwater.

5) Providing a conceptual and a digital model for the salt-masse balance of the Nile delta and valley groundwater.

6) Giving a clear idea on the potential use of the nuclear energy for desalinating seawater in Egypt for supplying an important extra water inflow into the country to cover its required agricultural expansion in the future.

Expected Participation of Foreign and/or External OrganizationsSeveral internal (Egyptian) and exterior (foreign and or international) institutions and

organizations may be potentially interested in such type of research work and may support it in several ways, financially or otherwise through material institutional help. We suggest that the following organizations would be interested in our proposal and intended work:

1) The Office of the Prime Minister of Egypt2) The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation3) The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of United Nations, Vienna, Austria4) The United States Geological Survey (USGS), USA5) Research institutes in the Arab region (e.g. The Kuwait Fund for Development)6) The African Unity fund institutions (e.g. The African Development Bank, ADB)7) Muslim world fund agencies (e.g. The Islamic Bank)8) The Canadian Aid9) The American Aid (US-Aid)

10) The European Community (EC) and one or more of its environmental organization active in the North-South dialogue

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ReferencesA. A. Nada, M. F. Hussein and K. Forehlich, 2001

Climatic changes and isotopic content along River Nile valleyIn: International Conference on the Study of Environmental Changes using Isotope Techniques, Book of Extended Synopses, IAEA-CN-80, Vienna, Austria, 23-27 April 2001, pp 101-102

Conway, D. & Hulme, M. (1996). The Impacts of Climate Variability and Future ClimateChange in the Nile Basin on Water Resources in Egypt. Water ResourcesDevelopment, 12(3), pp. 277-296.

Daif, M. A, M. F. Hussein, H. A Khater and Sanaa S. Tawfik, 2005Comparison of chloride breakthrough curves (BTC) in three different soils and their separates. J. Agric. Sci. Mansoura Univ, 30 (8): 4901-4968

Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA). (1999). The Arab Republic of Egypt:Initial National Communication on Climate Change: Prepared for the UnitedNations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC, pp. 160.http://www.climate.org/CI/africa.shtml.

El-Tarabily, K.A., A.A. Soaud, M.E. Saleh and S. Matsumoto. 2006. Isolation and characterisation of sulphur-oxidising bacteria, including strains of Rhizobium, from calcareous sandy soils and their effects on nutrient uptake and growth of maize (Zea mays L.). Australian J. of Agricultural Research. Vol. 57(1): 101-111.

Fahmy M. Hussein, Robert L. Michel and Klaus Froehlich, 1998Historical isotope changes in the River Nile and their relation to the study of groundwater hydrology of the Nile valley and delta.In: Gambling with Groundwater - Physical, chemical and Biological Aspects of Aquifer-Stream Relation. Las Vegas, USA, Brahana et al (eds.) pp 105-110

Frihy, O. E. (2003). The Nile Delta-Alexandria Coast: Vulnerability to Sea-Level Rise,Consequensces and Adaptation. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for GlobalChange, 8(2), pp. 115-138.

Mohamed Fahmy Hussein, Ail Islam, Sawsan Gamal, Moloto-A-Kenguemba Caetan and Chantal Djebebe, 2008Geochemistry and Isotope Hydrology of an Urban Aquifer, Subtropical Africa, RCAAccepted in the bulletin “Isotope and Radiation Research” of the Middle Eastern Regional Radioisotope Centre for the Arab Countries

Hulme, M., Doherty, R., Ngara, T., New, M. & Lister, D. (2001). African ClimateChange: 1900-2100. Climate Research, 17(2), pp. 145-168.Briefing notes, july 5th 2007 - 8 -

Hussein, M. F, 2008Parameters of Conservative Solute Transport in Three Sediments, EgyptAccepted in the bulletin “Isotope and Radiation Research” of the Middle Eastern Regional Radioisotope Centre for the Arab Countries

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC). (2007). Working Group I: ThePhysical Science Basis, Technical Summary: The Fourth Assessment Report of the

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2001). Working Group II: Impacts,Adaptation and Vulnerability African region: The third Assessment Report of the

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2007a). Working Group I: ThePhysical Science Basis, Regional Climate Projections-Africa: the FourthAssessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change pp. 849-867. http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/wg1/wg1-report.html.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2007b). Working Group II:Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability,Summary for Policymakers: The Fourth

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Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change pp. 1-23.http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM13apr07.pdf.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change pp. 21-87.http://ipcc-wg1.ucar.edu/wg1/Report/AR4WG1_Pub_TS.pdf.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change pp. 489-525.http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/wg2/377.htm.

M. F. Hussein, 2001Water flow and solute transport using environmental isotopes and modeling.In: Isotope based assessment of groundwater renewal in water scarce regions. Proceedings of a Final Research Co-ordination Meeting held in Vienna, 18-21 October 1999, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, TECDOC-1246. Pp 231-271

M. Fahmy Hussein, R L Michel, A Nada, K. Froehlich, S. Atta and Tanweer, 1999Use of isotope geochemistry to determine the effectiveness of water management strategies, Nile valley, EgyptIn: International Symposium on Isotope Techniques in Water Resources Development and Management. Book of Extended Synopses, IAEA-SM-361, Vienna, Austria, 10-14 May 1999, pp 63-69

Mohamed Fahmy Hussein, 2001Monitoring of Land and Water Degradation: Environmental Dimensions and Restoration.In: Natural Resources and Their Conservation in Egypt and Africa, Institute of African Research and Studies, Cairo University, 27 p

Muller, M. (2007). Adapting to climate change. Environment and Urbanization, 19(1),pp. 99-113.

Nada A., Hussein M. F., Al Amir S. and Ramadan, E., 1998Isotopic and chemical composition of surface and ground-waters in northern Nile valleyland, Egypt.In: Fourth Arab Conference on the Peaceful uses of Atomic Energy, Tunis: 14-18/1998 AAEA, pp 139-157

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2004).Development and Climate Change in Egypt: Focus on Costal Resources and theNile: Working Party on Global and Structural Policies Working Party onDevelopment Co-operation and Environment, pp. 68.http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/57/4/33330510.pdf.

Soaud A. Abdou., Fareed H. Al Darweesh and Mohd. Iftekhar Ahmed. 2005.Removing Salt Deposits from Greenhouse Cooling pad with Acidified water Using Sulfur Burner Technology. The Sixth Annual U.A.E. University Research Conference, April 24th - 26th, 2005. AlAin, UAE. pp. CFS-16 – CFS-20.

Soaud A. Abdou., Fareed H. Al Darweesh and Motior M. Rahman. 2005.Effect of acidified water and elemental sulfur application on growth and nitrogen recovery of corn using 15N fertilizer. The Sixth Annual U.A.E. University Research Conference, April 24 th - 26th, 2005. pp. CFS-10 – CFS-15.

Soaud, A.A., M. E. Saleh, K. A. El-Tarabily and S. Matsumoto. 2008.Effect of Amending Urea Fertilizer with Sulfur and Sulfur-Oxidizing Bacteria Strains on Precision Management of Ammonia Volatilization Loss From Calcareous Sandy Soils. Proceeding of 9th International Conference on Precision Agriculture. July 20-23, 2008, Denver, Colorado, USA. Pages 1-11.

Strzepek, K. M. & Yates, D. N. (2000). Responses and Thresholds of the EgyptianEconomy to Climate Change Impacts on the Water Resources of the Nile River.

Climate Change, 46(3), pp. 339-356.

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Curriculum Vitae

Prename Mohamed Fahmy Mohamed Name HusseinBirth Date 16/12/1948 Birth Place Cairo, EgyptNationality EgyptianSocial Situation Married and father of two children (19 & 21 years old)Passport N 4201 Central Administration of Passports, Tahrir, Cairo Address 9 Falaky st., Apt 20, 11461 Cairo, EgyptCellulaire (+2) 019 261 59 52E-mail fahmy@link.netQualification Doctorat d’État (Doctorat ès Sciences Naturelles)

(Hydrology and Isotope Geochemistry)Faculty of Sciences, Paris University, Orsay, FrancePh.D. (courses), M.Sc. (Soils and Water) (courses & thesis),B.Sc. (Spoils and Water) Fac. of Agriculture, Cairo University, Egypt

Discipline Isotope Hydrology and GeochemistryLanguages English (perfect), French (perfect) and German (beginner)IT High-end scientific & general-purpose software and InternetPosition Prof. of Isotope Geochemistry, Bangui University, RCA (2006-09)

Conseiller du Ministre de l’Agriculture, RCA (2004-2006)Professor, Cairo University (2008)Assistant Professor, Cairo University (1997-2008)Lecturer, Cairo University (1990)Research worker, Paris University (XI), France (1982-1990)Lecturer Assistant, Cairo University (1975-1990)Assistant, Cairo University (1970-1975)

Awards IAEA, 1993Fulbright, 1996Agricultural Faculties, 1999Egyptian Soil Science Society, 2000Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, 2009

Membership American Geophysical Union (AGU)Soil Science Society of Egypt (SSSE)

Work Cairo University (1970-present)Head of Isotope Hydrology lab at the Middle Eastern RegionalRadioisotope Center for the Arab Countries, 1992-1996.Conseiller at the Ministry of Agriculture,Central African Republic, RCA, (contract through the“Egyptian Fund for Technical Cooperation with Africa”, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Egypt, (2004-2009).

Research topics Isotope hydrology and geochemistry, water quality, modeling of solute transport in both the saturated and unsaturated zones

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ExpertiseA- University teaching

Course Level Language1. Environmental hydrochemistry B.Sc. and postgraduate French +

English2. Geochemical Modeling B.Sc. and postgraduate French +

English3. Isotope Hydrology Postgraduate French +

English4. Environmental Isotopes Postgraduate French +

English5. Water Resources B.Sc. Arabic + English6. Computer Applications B.Sc. Arabic + English7. University Physics B.Sc. Arabic + English8. Isotope Geochemistry Postgraduate French +

EnglishB- Computer experience and water flow modeling

High-end capacity in modeling of water flow, geochemistry of pollutants, tracers, isotopes and solute transport in the saturated and unsaturated porous zone using special-purpose packages (e.g. RETC, STANMOD, UNSATCHEM, PHREEQCIV, CHEMFLO, NETPATH and ROSETTA). Wide experience in general purpose software (spreadsheets, presentations, word-processing and Internet on compatible and Apple Macintosh PC’s).C- Analytical Experience

1. Chemical analysis of water and soils.2. Isotope analysis (18O, 2H, 3H, 12C, 14C, 34S, 15N) in groundwater & sediments.3. Dynamic experimentation of water flow and solute transport in porous media.4. X-ray and scanning electron microscopy.5. Polarizing microscope for studying thin sections.

D- Research Projects and Publications Principal Investigator of major research projects (with The International Atomic Energy

Agency - IAEA, Vienna - The United States Geological Survey and Cairo University) and Fulbright fellow in the USGS, California, USA. These Projects has focused on the environmental quality as well as the recharge and pollution of groundwater. I’m author of multiple research articles. I have translated several scientific books and articles; for example, on hydrology, soil resources, fossil and active aquifers, paleo-climatology of the Great Sahara, the application of numerical simulation in groundwater geochemistry and dynamics of water flow and solute transport in porous media.

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