Regional Training Course on “Modelling Support to Hydraulic Engineering in River Basin Development”

During the 5th regional workshop of the river structures research cluster that was held in Addis Ababa February 2009, a recommendation from the cluster members to organise a specialised training course on the Modelling support to Hydraulic Engineering in River Basin Development was highlighted. Based on this recommendation and the importance of the topics, The Nile Basin Capacity Building Network Secretariat (NBCBN-SEC) took the initiation to organize this course.

NBCBN-SEC and the River Structure Research Cluster hosted by Addis Ababa University in cooperation with the Hydraulics Research Institute (HRI), the hosting Institute of NBCBN-SEC, jointly organised the above mentioned Regional training Course in the period from 13th to 16th July 2009. The course was held in the Regional Training Center of the Hydraulics research institute, Cairo, Egypt. Participants from: Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda and D. R. Congo attended the course. The course used the existing experiences of HRI researchers and research facilities in the physical modeling applications in the organization and facilitation of the course.

The main objective of this training course was to provide the participants with knowledge on the role of the physical models. Introducing the concepts behind and define the different steps in building and operating physical models. During the course different case studies where presented to reflect the importance of the physical modelling in studying the different phenomena related to river engineering and river structures.

At the end of the course, the participants recommended to organize another advanced and practical training course in the same area of physical modeling.

Second Volume of the Nile Water Science & Engineering Magazine

NBCBN-SEC has the pleasure to announce the publishing  of the second volume of its Scientific Magazine. This was dedicated to be a special issue on the water and climate, the idea of this issue emerged from the launching event of the Multi-Disciplinary Research focusing on climate change and its impacts on the Nile Water Resources. The objectives of this special issue was to combine the most recent research carried out by professional from the Nile Basin,  on climate change as an emerging and important topic in the region. The online version will be available very soon on our website;

http://magazine.nbcbn.com/Volumes.asp.

It is also an honor to announceto inform our authors and readers that starting from the next volume the Nile Water Magazine will be recognized internationally as a Nile Water Science and Engineering Journal.

New Rector for UNESCO-IHE

The Nile Basin Capacity Building Network and the Hydraulics Research Institute, The hosting Institute of the Network Secretariat would like to congratulate Prof. András Szöllösi-Nagy for his appointment as the New Rector at UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education The new Rector, Professor András Szöllösi-Nagy, will start his appointment on 5 September 2009.

Prior to his appointment in Delft, the Netherlands, Professor Szöllösi-Nagy was Director of the Division of Water, Secretary of the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) and Deputy Director-General of the Natural Sciences Sector of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Prof. Szöllösi-Nagy was instrumental in the establishment of the new UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education in March 2003 and acted as a key player in the integration of the Institute’s education and research programmes in UNESCO.

Overview on NBCBN Research Activities

One of the research activities running under the NBCBN is the local action research, where local problem or interest is taken into consideration in the national network of the NBCBN.

One of the most important topics in Egypt and other Nile basin countries is the design of the Stilling basin. The Nile River is much more than a waterway to Egypt. It is the fountainhead of all activities and life. It comprises over 95% of the total water resources of the country which predominantly depends on agriculture, Prior to the construction of the Aswan High Dam, the flow of water in the River Nile was characterized by extreme seasonal variation. During the flood period, from August to November, the discharges exceeded the irrigation requirements. During the rest of the year, the discharge was inadequate for the irrigation needs. The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI) has taken the responsibility of safeguarding the water resources of the river. Therefore, over the last century a number of barrages and dams have been constructed to improve the diversion of water into the irrigation canals and to modify seasonal variation in the river Nile flows. This study was thus proposed in order to establish a hybrid approach to improve the design of the stilling basin.

The group is coordinated by Dr. Ahmed Sayed, The Hydraulics Research Institute, and the group composition is as below:

The study objectives are

1. Conducting a physical model to make test series that will be used as a database for calibrating and modifying an exiting numerical model.
2. Adopting the numerical model to be used as a basic tool to save both effort and cost.
3. The lessons acquired from this study will be used for and for capacity building and knowledge exchange to professionals in governmental and non­governmental water sector institutions of Nile Basin Countries.
4. The knowledge transfer will strengthen the relationship between Egypt and Nile Basin Countries that is positively linked with the objectives of NBI and NBCBN.

• Produce the design criteria for stilling basins
• Provide a better understanding of the flow distribution inside the various types of stilling basins
• Serve as a tool to design the stilling basin
• Provide a better understanding to the scour protection
• Produce qualified trainees for designing and monitoring anti-scour devices

The group succeeded to finalize the work and they submitted their final report, and now it is being reviewed by the scientific advisor to be approved and published.