Prof. Mohamed Rami Mahmoud

Research Professor · National Water Research Center, Cairo, Egypt

Professional Summary

Water Resources Innovator & Technology Leader

Prof. Mohamed Rami is a leading expert in mathematical modeling for environmental, hydrologic, and agricultural systems. He integrates operations research, GIS, remote sensing, and IT into water resources management. He served as IT Director at Egypt's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI) for over twelve years and as Assistant Minister for Research & Technology (2013–2016).

From 2019 to 2024, he directed the Environmental & Climate Changes Research Institute at NWRC, leading research on climate change impacts on the Nile Basin. He has published 25 research articles in Nature, ASCE, and other top journals, along with 40 scientific reports, and serves as Associate Editor for the Water Science journal.

Key Facts

  • 35+ years of experience
  • 25 peer-reviewed articles
  • 40 scientific reports
  • 10+ mathematical models developed
  • Collaborations with UNDP, USAID, World Bank, CIDA, CEDARE
Education

Academic Foundation

1

1987 — B.Sc. Civil Engineering

Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

2

1989 — M.Sc. Computer Science

National Computing Centre & British Computer Society, United Kingdom

3

1993 — M.Sc. Water Resources

Colorado State University, USA. Thesis: "Decision Support System for Optimal Sizing and Siting of Desalination Facilities"

4

1995 — Ph.D. Water Resources

Colorado State University, USA. Dissertation: "Multi-criteria Location and Sizing of Water Resources Projects by GIS and Dynamic Programming"

5

1996–1998 — Advanced Studies

Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden (1996) and Brussels University, Belgium (1998)

Professional Interests

Areas of Expertise

Machine Learning & Big Data

Applications of ML, deep learning, and big data in water resources problems, including artificial neural networks.

Mathematical Modeling

Mathematical programming, simulation modeling, multi-criteria evaluation, and optimization techniques.

Reservoir Operations

Simulation and optimization of reservoir systems, including the Nile Basin and Aswan High Dam.

Hydrology & Climate Change

Assessing climate change impacts on water resources and developing adaptation strategies for the Nile Basin.

GIS & Remote Sensing

Applying geospatial technologies for water resources monitoring, irrigation management, and environmental assessment.

Career Timeline

Work Experience Overview

1987–1995

Early career: System Engineer at NWRC, Graduate Research at Colorado State University

1996–2006

Assistant & Associate Research Professor at NWRC; General Supervisor of MWRI Main Information Center

2006–2013

Research Professor, Head of Central Directorate for Water Resources; UNDP Consultant in Saudi Arabia

2013–2016

Assistant Minister for Research & Technology, MWRI, Cairo, Egypt

2016–2019

Research Professor at NWRC; CEDARE Regional Water Specialist

2019–Present

Director, Environmental & Climate Changes Research Institute (2019–2024); Research Professor, NWRC (2024–present)

Leadership Role

Assistant Minister for Research & Technology (2013–2016)

As Assistant Minister at MWRI, Prof. Rami led the development of simulation and optimization models for Nile reservoirs, advanced remote sensing-based mathematical models, and pioneered desalination technology to address water supply-demand gaps in remote areas.

He directed cross-functional teams to modernize water resource management practices and collaborated with international bodies to align Egypt's water rights negotiation strategies with global standards.

Key Achievements

  • Supervised national irrigation and drainage information system
  • Oversaw satellite imagery analysis for Nile River monitoring
  • Spearheaded water management policy reform initiatives
  • Integrated sustainable energy solutions into water management
  • Led international compliance and water rights negotiations
Institute Leadership

Director, Environmental & Climate Changes Research Institute (2019–2024)

Research Agenda

Oversaw ECRI's research on climate change impacts and adaptation strategies for water resources, agriculture, and the environment.

Budget & Operations

Led planning and implementation of the annual research budget and managed all technical, financial, and administrative operations.

International Collaboration

Facilitated partnerships with domestic and international organizations in water resources, economics, agronomy, and environmental sciences.

Capacity Building

Strategized and oversaw capacity building for research staff through external and internal training programs to enhance skills and knowledge.

Current Role

Research Professor at NWRC (2024–Present)

Core Mandate

Member of the highest-ranking scientific committee at NWRC, evaluating tenure-track faculty and promoting candidates to Associate and Full Professor.

Associate Editor for Water Science, published by Taylor & Francis.

Research & Training Activities

  • Leverage advanced AI and climate modeling for water resources management
  • Develop simulation and optimization models for Nile reservoirs
  • Establish data-driven frameworks for hydrological and climatic scenario evaluation
  • Integrate climate change projections and AI analytics into decision support tools
  • Design and deliver training programs on water resources systems analysis
Mathematical Models

Technical Achievements in Mathematical Modeling

Over three decades, Prof. Rami developed a suite of mathematical models used nationally and internationally for water resources management.

NB-Sim

Nile Basin Simulation model for reservoirs including the High Aswan Dam (HAD) and Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

HAD-Opt & HAD-Sim

Optimization and simulation models for the High Aswan Dam, tested with 49 years of historical inflow data (1968–2017).

MCEWR

Multi-Criteria Evaluation for Water Resources tool using ELECTRE, AHP, PROMETHEE, and other methods. Used in California and Egypt.

HDDP

High Dimensional Dynamic Programming model solving problems with up to 12 decision and 12 state variables over 30 years.

OSSDF & ESMGWP

DSS for optimal desalination facility siting and an expert system generating water supply/demand scenarios for Egypt using 100+ rules.

International Consulting

Global Consultancy & Project Leadership

UNDP — Saudi Arabia (2010–2011)

Water Resource Management Consultant for the Integrated Water Resource Management Project, reviewing studies and building national staff capacity.

King Abdullah Institute — KSA (2010–2012)

Assessed dam operations across Saudi Arabia; built optimization models for Byash, King Fahd, and Al-Aqiq watershed reservoirs.

USAID / IRG — Egypt (2003–2010)

Senior Information Specialist for Integrated Water Management Districts; established GIS and IT systems for MWRI.

World Bank (2008)

IT/Database Expert developing a web-based PPP water portal and database framework for Arab Water Council member countries.

Scott Wilson Group — Iran (2006–2007)

Built deterministic and stochastic optimization models for the Dez and Karun reservoir system (7 connected reservoirs).

Grant Awards

Funded Research Projects

Smart Water Data Logger

USD 200,000 · NTRA, Egypt (2014–2017). Designed a water resources information system integrated with a locally developed data logger and DSS for smart management.

Remote Sensing for Soil Salinity & ET

USD 200,000 · U.S.-Egypt Joint Board (2011–2013). Used remote sensing to estimate soil salinity and evapotranspiration in the Nile Delta to improve irrigation efficiency.

Water Quality Monitoring — Nile Delta

EURO 200,000 · Italian-Egyptian Program (2009–2011). Explored remote sensing and hyperspectral imaging to improve water quality monitoring along Nile Delta waterways.

EMWIS National Focal Point — Egypt

EURO 265,557 · Italian Embassy / EU (2006–2009). Established Egypt's national focal point for the Euro-Mediterranean Water Information System with capacity building and a data web-server.

Recognition

Academic & Professional Awards

Academic Awards

  • Creativity & Innovation in Water, Arab Water Council, 2026
  • State Recognition Award for Engineering Sciences, National Academy for Scientific Research and Technology, 2008–2009
  • Best Research Paper in Integrated Water Resources Management, Ministry of Higher Education, 2008
  • Best Research in Water Resources Development and Management, NWRC, 2003
  • Best Research Paper, "Dr. Ibrahim El-Asuity Award," National Academy for Scientific Research and Technology, 1999
  • Best Research Paper in Irrigation and Drainage, ICID "Hassan Ismail Award," Granada, Spain, 1999
  • Best Ph.D. Paper, American Geophysical Union, Hydrology Days, Colorado State University, 1995

Professional Awards

  • Best General Manager, MWRI, 2004
  • Best Information Center Director, Egyptian Cabinet IDSC, 2002

Nomination

  • Nominated for Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (Alternative Water Resources), 2004–2006
Publications

Selected Research Articles

Prof. Rami has published 25 research articles in leading journals including Nature Scientific Reports, ASCE, Elsevier, Taylor & Francis, and Wiley. He serves as Associate Editor for Water Science (Springer Nature) since 2023.

Environmental Coherence Framework (2026)

Multi-sensor remote sensing for water hyacinth assessment in Lake Tana. Scientific Reports, Nature, Vol. 16.

Northern Sea Route Navigation (2024)

Potential benefits of climate change on Arctic navigation by 2050. Scientific Reports, Nature, Vol. 14.

GERD Failure Impact (2022)

Potential impact of failure of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on downstream countries. Journal of Flood Risk Management, Wiley, Vol. 15.

Desalination Siting with GIS (2002)

Multicriteria siting and sizing of desalination facilities with GIS. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, ASCE, Vol. 128.

Multi-Criteria Evaluation (2000)

Comparison of different multi-criteria evaluation methods for the Red Bluff Diversion Dam. Environmental Modeling and Software, Elsevier, Vol. 15.

Teaching

Teaching Experience

01

Python Programming in Water Resources

National Water Research Center, Egypt, 2022.

02

Hazard Assessment Using Spatial Analysis

International short course, Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development, Cairo, 2016–2019.

03

Integrated Water Resources Management

International short course, Nile Basin Initiative, Cairo, January 2010.

04

Reservoir Operations: Simulation & Optimization

Regular graduate course, Cairo University, Egypt, 2001–2009.

05

Application of GIS for Water Resources Management

Regular graduate course, Cairo University, Egypt, 2003–2009.

06

Remote Sensing for Water Resources

International short course, AWC/NASA, Istanbul, Turkey, March 2009.

Global Engagement

Conferences & Keynote Addresses

Recent Keynote Highlights

  • 2024 — Keynote, 3rd International Symposium on Agriculture and Water Research, AUC, Cairo
  • 2023 — Keynote, Cairo Water Week 6: "History, Present & Future of AI in Water Resources Management"
  • 2022 — Speaker, COP27 UN Climate Change Conference, Sharm El-Sheikh
  • 2022 — Session Chairman, Cairo Water Week 5: "Water, Climate Change, and Future Cooperation"
  • 2020 — Keynote, Cairo Water Week 3: "Climate Change in Arid Countries"
  • 2018 — Keynote, World Water Forum 8, Brasilia: "Open Source and Big Data for Water Use Efficiency"

International Forums Attended

  • World Water Forum 3, 4, 5, 8 (Kyoto, Mexico, Istanbul, Brasilia)
  • ICOLD Annual Meeting, Bali, Indonesia, 2014
  • Water Diplomacy Workshop, Harvard & MIT, Boston, 2014
  • Global Water & Climate Initiative, Colorado State University, 2016
  • ICID International Congresses (1996, 1999, 2005, 2007)
  • UN Transboundary Water Resources Roundtable, Rome, 2012
Certifications

Certified Consultant & Professional Affiliations

Irrigation & Drainage

Certified Consultant, Egyptian Engineers Syndicate, Civil Engineering Branch, August 2003.

Remote Sensing & GIS

Certified Consultant, Egyptian Engineers Syndicate, Civil Engineering Branch, March 2005.

Environmental Impact Assessment

Certified Consultant, Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, November 2019.

Key Professional Memberships

  • Member, Scientific Committee & Board of Directors, NWRC (2019–2025)
  • Associate Editor, Water Science Journal, Taylor & Francis / Springer Nature (2015–present)
  • Member, Tripartite National Committee for GERD Dam (Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia), 2014–2015
  • Member, National Committee of Cybersecurity, Ministry of Communication, 2014–2021
  • Steering Committee, Regional Knowledge Network on Water (RKNOW), EU, 2014–2016
  • National Focal Point, Euro-Mediterranean Water Information System (EMWIS), EU, 2000–2010
Technical Skills

Computer & Technical Skills

Programming Languages

Python, C++, C, R-Language, VB.Net, FORTRAN, HTML, Pascal, PROLOG

GIS & Remote Sensing

ArcGIS, ERDAS, ENVI, TerrSet

Databases

MySQL, Oracle (SQL/PL, Developer), ACCESS

Operating Systems & Networking

MS-Windows, Linux, UNIX; Microsoft Networking, CISCO, NOVELL

Academic & Modeling Software

MATLAB, GAMS, Mathematica, WMS, HEC-ResSim, WEAP, MODSIM, LINDO/LINGO, SPSS, Alyuda NeuroIntelligence, FlowMaster, Cropwat, and more

Other Software

AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Golden Software Grapher, PHP-Runner, Serif Applications

Academic & Professional Training

Continuous Learning & Development

Water Diplomacy — Harvard Law School, Boston, USA (2014)

Sponsored by MWRI Egypt; Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.

Information Systems in Water Resources — Brussels University, Belgium (1997–1998)

Sponsored by Belgian Administration for Development Cooperation and UNESCO; Vrije Universiteit Brussel.

Municipal Water Supply & Wastewater Management — Chalmers University, Sweden (1996–1997)

Two-part program sponsored by SIDA, conducted in Sweden and Jordan.

Innovation in Treated Wastewater Re-use — UNESCO-IHE, Tunisia (2012)

Focused on adoptable technologies for wastewater re-use, aquifer recharge, and desalination.

Connect with Prof. Mohamed Rami Mahmoud

Research Professor · National Water Research Center, Cairo, Egypt · Advancing water resources science for a sustainable future.

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