Free Online Course by RWTH Aachen University Germany // The Water-Energy-Food Nexus
Securing the supply of water, energy, and food is one of the greatest global challenges of our time. An online course by Hani Sewilam of RWTH Aachen University teaches a solid understanding of the connection between water, energy, and food, and provides the knowledge to manage resources in a sustainable and effective way.
This course focuses on sustainable development and global changes - vital issues for humanity. There is specific attention paid to the challenges in developed and developing countries and their transition from unsustainable to sustainable practices.
The course is an introduction to sustainable development and its relation to the Water-Energy-Food Nexus. This connection between three critical resources offers a conceptual tool for achieving sustainable development. It has become increasingly important to understand the interdependencies and interrelationships between the three resources. Finding new approaches to manage the nexus could contribute significantly to achieving the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Hani Sewilam is currently the Academic Director of the Department of Engineering Hydrology and the Managing Director of the UNESCO Chair in Hydrological Changes and Water Resources Management at the RWTH Aachen University in Germany. He is a professor of water resources and sustainable development at the American University in Cairo. Hydrology, water management, Water-Energy-Food nexus, desalination and sustainable development are his main areas of specializations.
Throughout his career, he has developed several initiatives and ensured their sustainability. Over the last 5 years, Sewilam co-founded a MSc program in “Sustainable Management – Water and Energy” at the RWTH Aachen in Germany and founded another M.Sc. program in “Sustainable Development” at the American University in Cairo. He has contributed significantly to the establishment of the UNESCO Chair in Hydrological Changes and Water Resources Management at the RWTH Aachen. Sewilam is the founder of the first Center for Sustainable Development in Egypt.
In Germany, his research team focuses on flood risk management and the development of innovative capacity building programme for water professionals. However, dealing with water scarcity through desalination, modern agriculture, rainfall harvesting and effective water management is the focus of his other team in Egypt. Another focus of his research is implementing the concept of Water-Energy-Food nexus and investigating the impact on the SDGs. Sewilam has been raising funds and implementing research and development projects since 2002 with universities and institutions from at least 15 Euro-Mediterranean countries.