Egypt – Forecast System for the Nile River

The Nile River and its tributaries flow through ten African countries, including Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt. The Blue Nile, White Nile, Atabara, and Sobat Rivers all ultimately merge in Sudan to form the Nile River flowing into Egypt with an average discharge of 300 million cubic meters per day. With a river this size and length, forecasting and managing flow events is critically important.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) selected Riverside Technology, inc. (RTi) to help develop, integrate, and implement a hydrologic forecasting system for the Nile River. In addition

Sample Daily Precipitation Grid

to assisting NOAA in overall project management, RTi designed system software, developed and verified computer models for forecasting, and helped implement the forecast system. RTi personnel developed, calibrated, and verified hydrologic models for the Blue Nile, White Nile, Sobat, and Atbara River Basins, and also developed enhanced procedures for Extended Streamflow Prediction and model state updating. RTi performed statistical analyses of historical hydrometeorological data to support calibration of satellite precipitation estimation algorithms, and integrated the various modeling and database components with a Graphical User Interface. RTi also trained Egyptians to use the forecasting system, which will enable them to better forecast and manage Nile River flow events.

Later, the U.S. Department of State requested RTi to analyze various Nile River Basin development and climate impact scenarios. Using the Nile Forecast System, RTi generated "what–if" simulations of the Nile River Basin, analyzing the effects of both potential future climate changes, and proposed water projects, on the availability of water to each of the ten Nile basin countries and key subregions within the basin.

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