Projects - ir. ANA (Awad) Mohammed Ali MSc

HydroTrans: Developing and validating a game-changing global dataset for transparent water management in transboundary basins

By constructing dams, humans gained the ability to regulate the water resources in rivers to satisfy their requirements for food, water, and energy. This control of water resources becomes increasingly important when two or more countries, each with their own needs, share the same river defined as a transboundary basin (TB). However, meeting these needs often requires trade-offs that may affect the benefits of the shared countries. Therefore, neighboring countries must cooperate and agree on managing the different dams to optimize the benefits of existing water resources. Unfortunately, numerous basins within the global network of 286 TBs experience data-sharing challenges. When upstream countries are unwilling to share their management strategies, it becomes challenging for downstream countries to manage the water, leading to hydro-political tensions and may intensify extreme events. Thus, it is crucial to comprehend the management of dams in TBs in response to natural and human factors, which is currently poorly understood. Therefore, we aim to generate a global dataset that captures the management strategies of dams in TBs. Furthermore, we will use the HydroTrans dataset to investigate the influence of climate change and dam management on water, energy, and food availability in key conflicting transboundary river basins. Ultimately, our findings will assist in developing more sustainable management practices in rivers globally.