Current Status (page 1 of 2)

The Department of Meteorology and Astronomy in the Faculties of Science both at Cairo University and at Al Azhar University continue to engage in significant research addressing drought, desertification, Nile River flooding, lacustrine water level fluctuations, sand storm and sand dune dynamics and cyclonic events. Their colleagues within Cairo University’s Center for Environmental Hazard Mitigation and Basel Convention Regional Center, as well as Azhar University’s Science Center for Detection and Remediation of Environmental Hazards have research foci that include coastal zone morphology and erosion, watershed sustainability and an array of biogenic and anthropogenic hazard detection, mitigation and remediation.

Representatives from multiple departments at both institutions of higher learning have enthusiastically embraced the prospect of gaining access to remotely sensed data archives, without the burden attempting to finance ad hoc purchases of satellite data each time a faculty member or graduate student requires such for research. Moreover, on the occasions of presentations by the current Project’s designated NPD at Cairo University’s Department of Aerospace Engineering and Al Azhar University’s Dept. of Meteorology in 2006 and more recently at the Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) in 2008, the response of faculty from both universities and from governmental and multi-lateral agency end-users to the potential of deploying real-time remote sensing for disaster early warning mitigation and for time-critical environmental sustainability initiatives was clearly expressed through audience response.

The coalition team that has developed among university multi-disciplinary faculty at Cairo University and Al Azhar University, together with scientists and decision-makers from the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, WHO Regional Office and World Bank support Nile River Project is quite formidable. The basic cyberinfrastructure is in place, in that a 1 GB fiber optic backbone now unites the major universities in Egypt. Some internal extension is needed to connect key collaborating departments within universities and an assessment is required to establish optimal connectivity between the universities and the primary ministerial and multi-lateral agency end-users (e.g. line of sight microwave, satellite telecommunications, regional router and repeaters, etc.).

Next page