Faculty of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department
Nexus Summer school 2014
At Techincal University of Munich
Submitted to:
Dr. Mohamed Eizeldin
Submitted by:
Ahmed Fathi Nasr
Omar Ahmed Moussa
Helwan University
Faculty of Engineering - Matarya
Civil Engineering Department
Nexus Summer school 2014
At Techincal University of Munich
Abdelrahman Alaa
Omar Ahmed Moussa Abeer Fathy Sayed
Nexus Summer school 2014
At Techincal University of Munich
Abdelrahman Alaa-Eldeen
Abeer Fathy Sayed
Table of contents:
• What is Nexus?
• Nexus Project in Technical University of Munich
• Breakdown of Activities
- Arrival and students presentations
- Intercultural training
- Water Quality modeling and WWTP excursion
- Excursion to Walchensee power plant
- Remote sensing and ArcGIS applications
- Biodiversity and restoration of aquatic ecosystems
• Conclusion
I) What is nexus?
The word “Nexus” means a connection or series of connections linking two or
more things, and this fits to perfectly describe the intertwined issue of
Water-Food-Energy.
Our world faces enormous challenges. Water, energy and food will become
ever scarcer in future, especially in poor countries. Although solutions can
be found for many of the impending problems, the measures taken to tackle
one problem impact on other sectors – often with negative consequences.
Conflicts of objectives arise. Thus, more food or energy has, so far, come at
a high cost: rising water consumption. And this is only one example of the
contradictory relationships at work.
Therefore trade-offs are needed between energy, food and water in terms
of resource allocation and planning. The dependencies between the three
fields can be demonstrated by the following graph:
Figure (1): Nexus of Food-Water-Energy
II) Nexus Project in Technical University of Munich
Technical university of Munich (Technische Universität München) was
founded in 1868. TUM is one of Europe’s top universities. It is committed to
excellence in research and teaching, interdisciplinary education and the
active promotion of promising young scientists. TUM was one of the first
universities in Germany to be named a University of Excellence. Moreover,
TUM regularly ranks among the best European universities in international
rankings.
Figure (2): logo of Technical University of Munich
The project “NeXus of water, food, energy” at TUM develops a network of
highly qualified and interested scientists and institutions. It is backed by a
DAAD-funded thematic partnership in order to bundle the necessary
capacity for addressing some of the main scientific questions of the nexus
and to create a nucleus in the fields of water, food and energy. The final
result will be a NeXus master course among the strategic partners.
List of Nexus partners:
- Danish Technical University (Denmark)
- Cairo University (Egypt)
- Helwan University (Egypt)
- Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia)
- Ludwig-Maximilian- Universität München (Germany)
- National Technical University of Athens (Greece)
- Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (Switzerland)
- Ardhi University (Tanzania)
- Colorado School of Mines (USA)
Figure (3): Partner Universities in the Nexus project
All these Universities were represented by students and/or professors at
the summer school except for Colorado School of Mines (USA) and
Ludwig-Maximilian- Universität München (Germany).
Figure (4): group photo of the students and some of the professors
III) Breakdown of Activities
A) Arrival and students presentations
For our first week in Germany, We settled in a hostel 10 minutes driving
from TUM hydraulic lab (the place where we are to take our lectures). After
being lectured about Nexus program, objective, some regulations, and
lectures schedule we were informed that each university should prepare a
presentation about Nexus related problems in their country.
Some of the presentations topics where for example river restoration in
Germany, energy shortage in Ethiopia, sophisticated water supply systems
in Greek Islands, and informal settlements in Tanzania. As for the
presentation of Helwan University, we decided to speak about the
significant problems threatening the Water-Food-Energy nexus in Egypt
and the factors affecting their security. We started by a quick introduction
on the interrelationship between the nexus' three elements, then we moved
on to talking about the problems affecting each division in details.
Figure (5): Helwan University students while getting ready to start the presentation
First, we started talking about the Energy sector, in which we stated some
facts regarding Egypt's energy sources and its yearly consumption of
energy, clearly stressing the significance of the energy deficiency problems
that our country has to face, in addition to some possible solutions to
overcome these problems.
Figure
Then we moved to talking
main problems threatening water security such as the country's total
dependency on one specific resource (The River Nile
the government's efforts to tackle these problems.
"Toshka" project in the western desert and "El
Finally, the Food section in which we demonstrated the factors affecting
food security in Egypt such as
desertification and water shortage.
Figure (7): Population density and growth charts.
Figure (6): Energy sources in Egypt
Then we moved to talking about water resources in Egypt, discussing the
main problems threatening water security such as the country's total
dependency on one specific resource (The River Nile), and demonstrating
the government's efforts to tackle these problems. For example,
"Toshka" project in the western desert and "El-Salam" project in Sinai.
Finally, the Food section in which we demonstrated the factors affecting
such as the massive population growth,
tification and water shortage.
Population density and growth charts.
about water resources in Egypt, discussing the
main problems threatening water security such as the country's total
), and demonstrating
For example, the
Salam" project in Sinai.
Finally, the Food section in which we demonstrated the factors affecting
the massive population growth, land
The presentation of Helwan University was met with many detailed
inquiries and further discussions were raised about the presentation
topics.
Figure (8): the discussion made after the presentation
B) Intercultural training
One of the most unique privileges of the summer school is to interact and
study with students from different cultures. The organizers from TUM bore
that in mind and arranged for an intercultural training early at the
beginning of the school schedule which was offered by two Austrian
trainers that included many activities that spanned almost an entire day.
Figure (9): Prof Peter Rutschmann (head of Nexus TUM) with the two Austarian
Trainers and a Helwan University student
The aim of activities was for us to realize how much in common we all have
thought we come from different cultures. This became truly evident when
each student was asked to write down one thing that is so special about
him. There were many things in common. Some students (from different
countries) had things in common like travelling, music, dancing, and love of
nature. In another activity, all students had to write down their names on a
large sheet of paper and each student had to connect his name to the names
of the others by something he had in common with each one.
Figure (10): common interests between students from different cultures
Another topic was conflict management. We divided into groups and each
group had to summarize two stages of Glasl's Nine-Stage model of conflict
escalation then explain them to others. Then we discussed a four step
model for democratic decision making. Finally there was a role play where
we were divided into two groups. One Group of supposed to support the
building of the Ethiopian millennium dam and the other would oppose it.
The Egyptians were on the group for the dam and the Ethiopians were in
the group against it. This was done so that each party would try to consider
the arguments of the other party.
Figure (11): Discussing Glasl's 9-stage model of conflict escalation
Figure (12): The debate on building the Ethiopian millennium dam
C) Water Quality Modeling
We moved to the main campus of TUM to attend lectures about water
quality and water quality modeling by a Danish Professor. First we were
lectured about the meaning of water quality, that there is nothing as
absolute “good” or “bad” water; water is good or bad according to the
desired use. And then we learned about the EU water quality directive. We
then reviewed important water quality concepts such as BOD, DO, and
reareation of rivers through the Streeter-Phelps model. Also, we were
acquainted with the use of minute living organisms as an indication of water
quality in rivers.
Figure (13): different types of minute organisms living in different WQ classes
Then we Visited the nearby wastewater treatment plant and reviewed the
different stages of primary treatment (inlets and primary clarifier),
secondary treatment (aeration tank, nitrogen removal tank, and secondary
clarifier), and sludge treatment processes.
Figure (14): A Helwan University Student beside the clarifiers
Figure (15): Helwan University group at the wastewater treatment plant
D) Excursion to Walchensee power plant
The Walchensee Power Plant is a hydroelectric power station with output
of 124 MW. It is one of the largest of its kind in Germany. It is south of
Kochel, about 14 km from the village of Walchensee. The storage power
station uses the hydraulic head of about 200 m between the Walchensee
(level 802) and the Kochelsee (Level 599.) to generate electricity through
six 450 m pipes connecting the two natural lakes.
Figure (16): Extensive pipes connecting the two lakes
Figures (17): schematic of Walchensee power plant
E) Remote sensing and ArcGIS applications
Remote Sensing is a truly significant technique as it aids us in gathering
data on objects from a considerable distance and extracting information
about a physical object /surface by measuring the interaction of this object
with electromagnetic radiation (especially sun light) which can be very
helpful in the collection of spatially distributed qualitative and quantitative
data of the earth surface.
Different ground objects (land covers) reflect different portion of each
wave length of incident on them. For example water absorbs all of the
infrared bands and vegetation highly reflects infrared rays; so by adjusting
the viewing colors of different bands (the RBG colors) we can distinguish
differences between them easily (water dark and vegetation very bright)
Figure (18): reflectance of natural objects
ArcGIS is a comprehensive spatial data analysis software that can be used
extensively in analyzing remote sensing date. It’s a commercial program
which decreases the number of expected bugs and increases the useful
tools in the program. It is also capable of being integrated with many other
software programs such as SWAT (Soil & Water Assessment Tool). SWAT is
a public domain model actively supported by the USDA Agricultural
Research Service at the Grassland, Soil and Water Research Laboratory in
Temple, Texas, USA. It is a hydrology model with the following
components: weather, surface runoff, return flow, percolation,
evapotranspiration, transmission losses, pond and reservoir storage, crop
growth and irrigation, groundwater flow, reach routing, nutrient and
pesticide loading, and water transfer.
SWAT can be considered a watershed hydrological transport model. This
model is used worldwide and is continuously under development. In the
summer school, we attended sessions in computer lab about constructing
and running a SWAT model through ArcGIS and also we learnt the process
of calibrating the parameters used by SWAT.
Figure (19): constructing and running SWAT model in the lap
F) Biodiversity and restoration of aquatic ecosystems
This time we went to a TUM small lab and campus at Iffeldorf where
students live, study, and carries on experiments on aquatic life in nearby
large lakes. Living organisms, especially aquatic weeds, can be very good
long term indicators for water quality. We first had a walk around the lake
taking various measurements at different sites (temp, PH, conductivity
relating to salinity). Then we went on a boat trip through the lakes as we
were lectured about the lakes and carried out some experiments as well.
Figure (20): Taking water measurements near the lakes
Figure (21): Carrying out an experiment on the boat
V-Conclusion
Two weeks though not much long of a period, yet they provided the
experience of a lifetime. Traveling abroad, meeting new people from
diverse cultures, and discovering the many things that we share in
common. Technical wise, TUM is one of the finest universities in Europe.
The Lectures we attended there were really informative and rich.
Moreover, there were professors lecturing us from other universities as
well accumulating more and more experience and knowledge into the brief
lecture times.
It’s not only about the truly knowledgeable lecturers; it’s the elegant
combination of theoretical lectures, field visits, interactive activities and
computer lab work that made this summer school truly fruitful.
Another important note that needs to be illustrated is the fact that we were
the youngest participants among all the others students (most of them are
finishing or already finished their masters) yet we were very competent
and had enough technical knowledge to put up with the most highly
advanced scientific contents.
Figure (22): The Egyptian Group attending the summer school at TUM
