Mohamed Elwan, Civil Engineer and GLOBE Egypt Alumnus

Mohamed is a GLOBE Alumnus who lives and works in Egypt.  GLOBE Alumni are former GLOBE students who work with GLOBE Country Coordinators or U.S. Partners to implement GLOBE in their local schools and community.  Mohamed joined the GLOBE Program as a student in 2001 and it ignited his passion for environmental science.  Because of this passion, he pursued a career in civil engineering where he can use his excitement every day in his career.

GLOBE Students, who are all now GLOBE Alumni, perform protocols in 2001. The students from left to right are Mohamed Abdel Fattah, Mohamed Saad and Mohamed Elwan.

Like many others in the environmental sciences, his career has taken many turns.  But through it all, he has stayed true to his passion for making a positive impact on the environment.  His civil engineering career started through design and building water and waste water tanks.  He then transitioned into a position that worked closely with a project at Cairo’s airport and now has settled in as a quality control/quality analyst for a consulting firm who specializes in environmental and infrastructural (such as highway and systems) studies in the Middle East.

Through his work, he has found excitement in knowing that he gets to work in the details of water and waste water projects to make plans that will change people’s lives.  As each project differs from the previous, he draws on his experience with GLOBE and his desire to help the environment to make sure each project is completed the right way.  He knows that his work is important, as he said “every non-scientist knows how important [water is] to our life.”

And while his GLOBE experience has helped him in his career, becoming a GLOBE Alumnus has presented opportunities that he may not have otherwise experienced.  He was able to attend a lecture by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden at the American University in Egypt, visit the Siwa Oasis, and attend the Near East and North Africa Regional Meeting in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2003.  What future opportunities will present themselves to Mohamed? Only time will tell.

Mohamed at the Siwa Oasis

Mohamed and members of the GLOBE Lebanon team at the 2003 Near East and North Africa Regional Meeting in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Suggested activity: Are you a former GLOBE student who would like to reconnect with the GLOBE Program?  Visit the GLOBE website to register as a GLOBE Alumni.  If you’ve also pursued additional education or a career as a scientist, consider joining the GLOBE International Scientist Network.  You can find more information on criteria for membership here.

The Near East North Africa region is very sensitive to even small shifts in climate.  This region is one of the world’s most water scarce, and is also known for its extreme temperatures.  Some regions of Saudi Arabia, for example, can see daily maximum temperatures above 54°C.  So it is of no surprise that countries in this region have needed to adapt their activities to deal with harsh environmental conditions.  Any change in either temperature or precipitation could have a drastic effect on life in the region.

A caravan of camels crossing the Ad Dahna desert in Saudi Arabia (from wikicommons)

One potential consequence of climate change is an increase in frequency of droughts and higher temperatures in the region.  This could lead to water stressing, a phenomena that results in ground water resources being extracted beyond the aquifer’s ability to replenish.  With more droughts, the success of agriculture could fluctuate more widely, with years of surplus followed by years of deficit, with a trend toward the latter.  This also could lead to water and air quality issues, resulting in a challenge to all plant, animal and human life.

In the near future, many of these issues will be addressed, as Qatar will host a climate-change talk to boost environmental efforts in the region.  According to an article on Bloomberg.com Qatar is looking into cutting emissions, as the country is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide per person in the region.  Saudi Arabia is looking to create a solar industry capable of generating a third of its electricity by 2032.  It is hoped that this meeting and efforts from countries in the region will mitigate some of the potential problems from shifts in climate!

Participation in GLOBE from this region has been on the rise, and it would be beneficial to see even more data entered from the region!   The next Great Global Investigation of Climate is coming up in June, and it is an easy way to get involved! Are you a GLOBE school in the region that has been taking air temperature or precipitation measurements?  How could you use those measurements to learn more about your climate?  We’d love to hear from you!  Leave us a comment or send us an email at science@globe.gov!

-Jessica Mackaro