In September 2025, The Faculty of Spatial Development and Infrastructure Systems at the University of Applied Sciences Cologne (TH Köln) in collaboration with the University of Khartoum organized a focused online training titled “Water Resources Modeling for Data-Scarce Regions (WRM2025)” within the framework of the Eastern Nile Basin Research Universities and Centers (ENRUC) network. The two-session training brought together 21 young professionals from nine Nile riparian countries, providing a valuable platform for capacity building in hydrological modeling under conditions of limited data availability.
This training marks the inaugural edition in a planned series of capacity-building programs organized under the ENRUC network. The primary goal of these trainings is to foster science-based collaboration among Nile riparian countries by strengthening technical expertise and knowledge exchange. Additionally, they highlight the importance of sustained cooperation and joint capacity development to address shared water resource challenges in the basin.
The training equipped participants with practical skills to assess long-term water availability and streamflow estimation at the catchment scale using robust modeling frameworks and open-source datasets (such as Google Earth Engine and HBV-Light model). It specifically focused on challenges and scenarios relevant to the Nile Basin, including the impacts of climate and land use changes.
Beyond the technical knowledge exchange, this training served as an excellent forum for interaction among early-career researchers across national boundaries. Through active questioning and discussion, participants expanded their professional networks and enhanced mutual understanding of technical challenges in water management. The training also helped raise awareness of the ENRUC network’s role as a hub for collaborative Nile Basin research.
