International Journal of River Basin Management

African Water Security

The issue of water security in Africa has become increasingly critical in recent years, particularly in the face of climate change and growing water scarcity. Changes in precipitation patterns, rising temperatures, and extreme weather events such as droughts and floods have profound implications for water availability across the continent. These fluctuations are compounded by unsustainable water management practices, urbanization, and the pressures of population growth, which exacerbate existing challenges.

In this context, it is essential to develop a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing water security and to implement effective strategies for management and governance. This Collection will explore themes such as climate change-induced droughts and floods, water scarcity, river basins management, hydraulic structures, urban water and wastewater management, groundwater hydraulics and management, lakes, estuaries, and coastal ecosystems, hydroinformatics for smart water management, and water governance. This collaborative effort aims to address the complex challenges facing African water security and to promote sustainable solutions that enhance resilience in the face of climate variability.

Contributors to this Collection will be experts from various fields related to water security, including hydrology, environmental science, and urban water system. High-quality research articles relevant to the themes of the 6th IAHR Africa Congress "African Water Security in the Context of Climate Change" will be considered.

Guest Editors

Dr. Jane Tanner | Rhodes University, South Africa

Dr Jane Tanner is an Associate Professor at Rhodes University undertakes both research and consulting in hydrology, specialising in the modelling and understanding of surface water and groundwater interactions. This includes improving conceptual process understanding as well as hydrological modelling of interactions. She is an expert in the application of the modified Pitman Model (modified at the IWR by Prof Denis Hughes) which integrates both surface water and groundwater. Further interests lie in the types of field work that support the modelling of SWGW interactions, as well as comparisons between simpler and more complex models, and their applicability in various settings.

Dr. Modupe Jimoh | Warwick University, UK

Dr. Modupe Jimoh is an Associate Professor of Civil and Humanitarian Engineering. Her research focuses on water treatment technologies that utilize biomaterials and microorganisms. She has conducted extensive studies on the transport of solute materials in urban drainage structures, such as manholes. This research examines the effects of overflows and the transport of microplastics within urban drainage systems. Additionally, she has worked on sustainable water education and capacity building, promoting sustainable water resources and sanitation management, particularly in humanitarian settings. In the area of energy research, her research investigates the impact of unclean energy and air pollution on children's cognitive development and the well-being of women.

Dr. El Kadi Abderrezzak Kamal | Compagnie Nationale du Rhône, France

Kamal El Kadi Abderrezzak is an Expert Hydraulic Engineer at Compagnie Nationale du Rhône (CNR), France. His work focuses on the experimental and numerical modeling of open-channel flow, sediment transport, and river morphodynamics. His research interests include dike/levee breaching and associated flood propagation.

Prior to joining CNR, he was a n Expert Scientist at the National Laboratory for Hydraulics and Environment of EDF (Électricité de France) for 16 years.

El Kadi is actively involved in IAHR, where he chairs the Working Group on Reservoir Sedimentation. He is also a member of the leadership team of the IAHR Africa Division and the IAHR Committee on Flood Risk Management. Additionally, he serves as an associate editor of the IAHR Journal of Applied Water Engineering and Research (JAWER).

He is Vice President of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Société Hydrotechnique de France.

Dr. David Ferras | Polytechnic University of Cartagena, Spain

Dr Ferras holds currently a Senior Researcher position (Beatriz Galindo fellowship) in the department of Mining and Civil Engineering of UPCT. Prior to UPCT, he was a senior lecturer at IHE Delft in the field of Water Transport and Distribution. Dr Ferras research interests focus on the development of advanced tools for the numerical and experimental description of pressurized transient flows and their engineering application in design and operation of hydraulic systems, as well as post-accident analyses and system protection. His interests evolve around the engineering scope of water transport and distribution, hydropower and water-energy nexus.

Dr. Hadeel Hosney | IHE Delft, Netherlands

Hadeel Hosney is a Senior Lecturer and researcher at IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, specializing in wastewater treatment, reuse, and waste valorization. Her expertise spans environmental engineering, small-scale sanitation, algae cultivation, aquaponics, pyrolysis, and adsorption. Hadeel has led and still leading several environmental engineering projects across countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and India, collaborating with prominent international donors like OKP, DUPC, GIZ, and the World Bank.

Dr. Moez Louati  | IHE Delft, Netherlands

Moez Louati is currently a lecturer at the IHE Delft institute for water Education, and Adjunct Associate Professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He is dedicated to accelerating the development of smart cities by developing an innovative technology to save water and energy and assist in rendering urban water infrastructures sustainable, resilient and adaptive. His expertise encompasses pipeline defect detection and condition assessment, hydraulic transients and acoustics, pipeline hydraulics, and water supply and distribution systems’ design. Moez’s research interests include: Fluid Mechanics of Waves; Water Loss Management; Computational Fluid Dynamics; Smart Water Infrastructure; Machine Learning and Optimization, Education and Capacity Building.