SRU Director
Dr. Inas El-Gafy is the Director of the Strategic Research Unit at the National Water Research Center (NWRC), part of Egypt's Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation.
Dr.El-Gafy served as a Visiting Professor at Ohio State University's College of Engineering (2018-2020) and Colorado State University (2015-2016) in the USA. Additionally, she was the Assistant Focal Point of the Research, Development, and Innovation Network at the NWRC from 2009 to 2010, where she contributed to the European Union's Seventh Framework Program for Research and Technological Development.
She has extensive experience in a wide range of fields, including the water-food-energy-environment nexus, developing desalination strategies, decision support systems for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM, optimal allocation of irrigation water based on social and economic factors, and the evaluation of national water and food security.
Her expertise also covers assessing the national water footprint, climate vulnerability, the progress of the water sector development, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) indicators for assessing environmental footprints and water quality, the evaluation of the national water and food security, and gender and stockholder participation in IWRM.
One of the 12 scientific pillars of the National Water Research Center
SRU Overview
The Strategic Research Unit (SRU), established in 1998, is part of the National Water Research Center (NWRC) under Egypt’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation. It was formed through the merger of two earlier initiatives supported by CIDA and USAID. SRU focuses on integrated research to support water resources planning and management, considering environmental, social, and economic aspects.
Area of Expertise
SRU mandate encourages integration with NWRC various institutes, as well as multi-disciplinary studies including the following:
- Water -Energy–Food- Environment-Climate Nexus
- Decision support systems for Integrated Water Resource management
- Multi-sectorial Water Management
- Non-conventional Water Resources (Desalination – Wastewater reuse)
- Water and Food Security Gender
SRU Vision
Strategic Research Unit is looking forward to the future with a promising and comprehensive vision to keep up with the up-to-date strategies supported by the latest international technologies.
SRU Mission
The SRU carries out studies that support the planning and management of the water resources in an integrated and comprehensive approach including the environmental, social, and economic aspects. The SRU assists in developing and enhancing national water policies and strategies guided by the NWRC research plan.