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  • Colloquium: Hydro-diplomacy of the Blue Nile River Basin: Technical and Diplomatic Perspectives
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Colloquium: Hydro-diplomacy of the Blue Nile River Basin: Technical and Diplomatic Perspectives

* POSTPONED *

Due to the latest COVID measures restricting physical presence for events and gatherings, we regret to inform you that this colloquium has been postponed until further notice.

Event Details:

  • Date:            POSTPONED until further notice Thursday, 13 January 2022
  • Time:           Starts: 16:00
  • Venue:         Online | Live streaming of the discussion will be available on The Cyprus Institute's YouTube channel
  • Speaker:     Professor Fadi Comair, Director of the Energy, Environment and Water Research Center, The Cyprus Institute

 

The colloquium will be held online, in English and the live stream is open to the public. 
Live streaming of the discussion will be available on The Cyprus Institute's YouTube channel.
Images and/or recordings of our open public events may be used by The Cyprus Institute for dissemination purposes including print and digital media such as websites, press-releases, social media, and live streaming.

 


Abstract

The talk will give a clear picture of the recent developments concerning the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) negotiation between the Blue Nile riparian countries (Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt). An assessment of the situation will be presented pointing to the technical and political challenges and the opportunity to apply a comprehensive and sustainable agreement which provides win-win solutions.

Given that the actual political approach is based on the ”Harmon Doctrine” of absolute territorial sovereignty, which will lead to a unilateral management of the Blue Nile Basin, the Hydro-diplomacy and the Water-Energy-Food Nexus concepts based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the principles of Ecosystem preservation would be a unique opportunity to ensure environmental sustainability while at the same time defusing the current conflictual situation.

 

About the Speaker

f comairFadi Georges Comair is a professor of applied hydrology, Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), and infrastructure and is currently the Director of EEWRC (Energy, Environment, Water and Research Centre) of the Cyprus Institute. Dr. Comair has been the Chairperson of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) since 2019. Between 1993 and 2021, he has served as Head Department at the Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches de l'Industrie du Beton (CERIB) in France (1987-1993) and as the President of the Litani River Authority (LRA) and Director General of Water Resources (1993-2021) in Lebanon.

He is the founder of the Water-Energy Environment Research Center (WEERC) at Notre Dame University (NDU). He also contributed to the design and execution of several projects in the field of water management and hydraulic engineering infrastructure. He acted as the Vice-President of the Euro-Med Water Information System (EMWIS) and the President of the Mediterranean Network of Basin Organizations (MENBO) from 2009 to 2011, developing important activities and partnerships to promote IWRM. He actively contributed to the water strategy of UfM and also the one of UNESCO IHP –IX, which is entitled" Science for a Water Secure World in a Changing Environment," for the next decade ( 2022-2029) Prof. Comair is a water diplomat (DWRE) from the American Academy of Water Resource Engineers (AAWRE) and an international negotiator specialized in Transboundary water in the MENA region.

In addition, he initiated the concept of Hydrodiplomcy based on his negotiation experience related to the Jordan River Basin, the Orontus, The Nile, and the Tigres and Euphrates. He has published around 200 scientific publications, among them authored several books. He is a member of the Academie des Sciences d'Outre-Mer and the Academie de l'Eau in France. He graduated from France, the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées(ENPC) and Claude Bernard Lyon I University, with a Ph.D. in Applied Hydraulics and Energy System Engineering.
  

 

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Additional Info

  • Date: Postponed until further notice
  • Time:

    Thursday, 13 January 2022, Starts: 16:00

  • Speaker: Professor Fadi Comair, Director of the Energy, Environment and Water Research Center, The Cyprus Institute
  1. August 2016
  2. September 2016
For the initial monitoring of the building the SUI CyI research team installed a weather station on the roof, placed sensors inside the building and performed a thermal comfort assessment survey.

1. Climate data monitoring

Exterior
A Vantage Pro2 weather station was placed on the building roof to collect data from the SUI area. Regularly updated information about the climatic conditions could be found on the station webpage: http://www.weatherlink.com/user/suitepakcy/. The weather station base was designed and installed by the CyI technical equipment development team.

Interior
Twelve (12) HOBO data-loggers were placed in the building, for collecting temperature, humidity and light data. The data are collected every 30 minutes and will be elaborated with the HOBOware software.

2. Thermal comfort assessment questionnaire

A survey on occupant comfort satisfaction with the indoor environment in summer was conducted. The questionnaire was based on templates proposed by the HSE (http://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/index.htm). A third of the total employees were asked and complementary measurements were made using a Heat Stress WBGT (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature) Meter, both for the indoor and the outdoor climatic conditions at the time of the survey.

Images below, from left to right:
Left: The Vantage Pro2 weather station
Middle: HOBO data logger placed in the working place – 1st floor
Right: Completed questionnaire (first page) – Ground floor.

View the embedded image gallery online at:
https://www.cyi.ac.cy/index.php/sui-activities/sui-building-monitoring/colloquium-hydro-diplomacy-of-the-blue-nile-river-basin-technical-and-diplomatic-perspectives.html#sigProGalleria86fa08f526

1. Thermal imaging

Thermal images were taken using a T440 Flir thermal camera in order to find missing, damaged, or inadequate insulation, building envelope air leaks, moisture intrusion and other problems. Also, the main sources of radiant temperature were determined.

2. HOBO sensors data collection and analysis

The temperature, humidity, air movement and dew point data from the HOBO sensors were collected and analysed. The mean predicted vote (PMV) was calculated using the CBE Thermal Comfort Tool (http://comfort.cbe.berkeley.edu/EN). In all the spaces under monitoring the people are expected to be in thermal comfort, since all values are within the thermal comfort range of -0.7

Images below, from left to right:
Left: A thermal image from the mezzanine
Right: Graph. Thermal Comfort PMV

View the embedded image gallery online at:
https://www.cyi.ac.cy/index.php/sui-activities/sui-building-monitoring/colloquium-hydro-diplomacy-of-the-blue-nile-river-basin-technical-and-diplomatic-perspectives.html#sigProGalleria1b1c874984

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