The University of Manchester entry for Frontiers Planet Prize 2024 awarded shortlist position
, Chair in Water Engineering at The University of Manchester, and colleagues submitted their paper 鈥�Cooperative adaptive management of the Nile River with climate and socio-economic uncertainties鈥� to the back in October 2023.
Last week, The University of Manchester received news from the and the Frontiers Planet Prize team that, following a rigorous review process by an international panel of experts, the paper has now been submitted to the prestigious for further consideration.
The Frontiers Planet Prize, currently in its second year, celebrates breakthroughs in sustainability science, rewarding solutions that show measurable potential to help humanity remain within the boundaries of the Earth鈥檚 ecosystem. The champions of each prize will be supported in embedding their award-winning research, and expertise in roundtable discussions at some of the world鈥檚 most relevant conferences and regional events, as well as being awarded one million Swiss francs to support their continuing research.
The paper, published in and Nature Climate Change, was written by Mohammed Basheer, Victor Nechifor, Alvaro Calzadilla, Solomon Gebrechorkos, David Prichard, Nathan Forsythe, Jose M. Gonzalez, Justin Sheffield, Hayley J. Fowler and Julien J. Harou - an interdisciplinary mix of academics from The University of Manchester, University College London, the Joint Research Centre (European Commission), The University of Southampton, and Newcastle University.
On the team of researchers, , now Assistant Professor at The University of Toronto 鈥� an institution partnered with The University of Manchester, was formerly awarded Postgraduate Student of the Year 2022 in the here at The University of Manchester. He also received a Distinguished Achievement Award from Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, current President and Vice Chancellor at The University of Manchester, in 2022.
Exploring hydrological and socio-economic uncertainties posed by climate change and other external challenges facing the Nile River system, such as increasing water demands and political tensions in the region, the paper presents a planning framework for adaptive management of the riparian system. The management policy, focused on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, demonstrates substantial economic and resilience benefits for the three transboundary nations in question 鈥� namely Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt.
The paper can be accessed in full in (behind a paywall) or in . There is also an accompanying policy brief to the paper which can be found (also behind a paywall).
Harou鈥檚 entry now sits with The Grand Jury of 100 who will evaluate the selected nominations, designate one National Champion from each participating country, and award the three international prizes. The National Champions will be announced on Earth Day, 22 April 2024. The International Champions will be revealed during the Award Ceremony taking place on 26 June during the annual .
The University of Manchester sends their well wishes to Professor Harou and his fellow researchers for the next round of judging for this prestigious sustainability prize. They also highly congratulate them for the outstanding achievement of reaching the shortlist in the Frontiers Planet Prize 2024.