Completed doctorate Samah Mahmood Abdo Saif

Samah Mahmood Saif, supervisors and examiner committee (Bild: privat)

On the 3rd of February 2022, Samah Mahmood Saif successfully defended her cooperative doctorate with the University of Kassel. The doctorate was supervised by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Franz-Bernd Frechen at the University of Kassel, and by Prof. Dr. Lars Ribbe (Institute for Technology and Resources Management in the Tropics and Subtropics of TH Köln).

The dissertation with the title "Assessment of Rainwater Harvesting potentiality in the Blue Nile Basin Based on Open-Access Data” aimed to map potential RWH sites in the BNB and to highlight the usefulness of using open-access data, such as integrating RS into GIS and using it as an alternative source of data in areas that lack reliable ground data. The MCA approach with RS and GIS was applied to map potential RWH sites in the basin. The findings clarified that high and moderate suitability RWH zones are dominant in the BNB. In addition, the study highlights the usefulness of applying the RWH system in areas with water shortage problems as explained by the selected example Hafier Abu-Garin, in Sudan.

The study confirms prior research emphasizing the effectiveness of RS and GIS for identifying suitable RWH sites in large areas and how it can save time and cost. Besides, the utilized approach is useful and can be applied to similar environments to identify adequate RWH zones in data-scarce regions. Involving the local community is crucial for RWH to succeed. The findings can be used to assist decision-makers, researchers, donors, NGOs, and private initiatives working on flood and drought hazards to better understand the RWH potentiality required for different sectors and development projects.