Prof. Abbas Mohamed Sharaky

Course Description

This course examines the global challenges affecting food production, focusing on current issues (Food Security) that illustrate these challenges. Students will investigate a range of topics including water, energy, and environmental aspects, regional disparities in the ability to meet basic human needs, and protection of the natural environment in an attempt to help students to appreciate the natural resources, to provide them with some historical perspective on the present status of the planetary environment; to give students opportunities to analyze specific environmental quality issues and to familiarize them with the ideas and practices of managing resources and environments according to the principles of sustainable development.

Grading

• Mid Term Exam (Nov. 25) .................  10%
• Term paper (Due Dec. 3) ..................  10%  
• Oral Exam .........................................  10% 
• Final Exam ........................................  70%

Course content: (General Class Notes in pdf) 

1. Water Issues:                                                                                                       

             1.1  Introduction and global water balance (presentation in pdf)

             1.2  Freshwater, Water scarcity (presentation in pdf)  (Video)

             1.3  Water resources in Africa (presentation in pdf)  (Video)

             1.4  Water resources in the Arab World (presentation in pdf)

             1.5  Rivers, Water in Egypt, Nile River and High Dam 

             1.6 Water projects, Aswan High Dam

2. Transboundary issues in the Nile Basin:    

             2.1  Water challenges in Ethiopia                  

             2.2  Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) 

             2.3 GERD and General principle of International law 

3. Desertification issues: 

            3.1 Drought, Potential Evapotranspiration, deforestation, overgrazing,  urbanization.

            3.2 Sand dune encroachment.

4. Energy Resources issues:                                                                

             4.1 Non-renewable energy resources (fossil oil, natural gas, coal, uranium).

             4.2 Renewable energy resources (solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectricity, biomass, biofuels, nuclear

                  power).   

5. Climate Change (variation - fluctuation - oscillation)

              Causes, evidences, greenhouse gases, sea level rise