Innovations in Climate Resilience is a new event series hosted by MEI's Climate and Water Program. The series showcases different practical applications that address climate change vulnerability in the MENA region.
Amid growing concerns over water scarcity and low rainfall rates, efforts are underway globally to find innovative solutions and ideas to tackle the problem. One potential solution being pursued within the MENA region is rain enhancement. The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP) contributes to water security innovation by advancing the science, technology, and implementation of rain enhancement, and spurring additional investment in research funding and partnerships globally.
Join Alya Al Mazrouei, the Director of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science, and Mohammed Mahmoud, Director of MEI’s Climate and Water Program, for a conversation on how the UAE is leading rain enhancement efforts in the MENA region as a pathway to addressing climate change-driven water scarcity and augmenting regional water supplies.
Speakers
Alya Al Mazrouei
Director, UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science
Mohammed Mahmoud, moderator
Senior Fellow and Director of the Climate and Water Program
Detailed Speaker Bios
Alya Al Mazrouei
Alya Saeed Al Mazrouei is the Director of the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science. In this role, she leads a team responsible for managing an international competition promoting the UAE’s engagement and capacity-building in the field of weather modification, particularly in the research and development of scientifically advanced technology for rain enhancement. She joined the UAE’s National Center of Meteorology (NCM) in 2003 and has held a senior position as the Head of the Training Section in the R&D Department since 2011. Since joining NCM, she has led a project tasked with launching a new academic meteorology program (Bachelor’s in Meteorology Sciences) in cooperation with Abu Dhabi Polytechnic. In the training field, she has been involved in utilizing and implementing new e-learning methodology at NCM for both behavioral and specialized technical skills since 2014. Al Mazrouei has also managed several meteorological courses certified by the World Meteorological Organization through a cooperative agreement with the UK Meteorological Office. In 2005, she was awarded, alongside her team members, the UAE Weather Modification Excellence Prize. She has also won several other awards for her achievements and contributions at NCM, including her participation in Phase II of the UAE Rainfall Enhancement Assessment Program in 2003. Alya graduated with honors with a Bachelor’s of Business Science from Zayed University (ZU) in 2002.
Mohammed Mahmoud
Mohammed Mahmoud is the director of the Climate and Water Program and a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute. His areas of expertise include climate change adaptation, water policy analysis, and scenario planning. Previously, Mohammed was a senior policy analyst with the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, where he provided research, modeling, and analysis on inter-state Colorado River Basin programs and binational water issues between the United States and Mexico. In addition, he is a faculty associate with Arizona State University.
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