The Nubian Project

Objective 2: Fill key gaps

Key methodological, data and capacity gaps needed for strategic planning decisions will be filled, using appropriate technical approaches. This will include a focus on isotope techniques and applications under the supervision of the IAEA.

These actions will be structured so that efforts to fill in gaps will be initiated early in the project to feed into the SADA process above.

Possible actions here include the improvement of monitoring stations and networks, new observation wells and identifying new sampling points. Isotope tools will be used for a variety of purposes – from evaluating groundwater age to monitoring micro-climatic change. Bringing all NSAS countries to a common level of capacity will also be a focus, including training in isotope hydrogeology and groundwater monitoring -- Chad and Sudan will be the key target countries for training.

The IAEA will take the lead for this project component, and will work with others (e.g. CEDARE) when use of the NARIS database is relevant.

National efforts here will be essential to undertake sampling campaigns in the given timeframe, collect data and input data into the respective Nubian databases as part of their national co-funding commitments to the overall project.