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The first part of the visit was held at NWRC headquarters in Shobra-Almazallat in Cairo, where the the head of NWRC, Prof. Dr.. Sherif Mohamady, expressed his appreciation for the visit and stressed the center's commitment to working with UNESCO to achieve their shared goals. He also highlighted the importance of research in finding sustainable solutions to water-related issues and the need for capacity building to enhance the skills of professionals in the water sector. Dr. Sanz and Prof, Mahamady and their accompanying teams held a meeting to discuss potential future cooperation between UNESCO Regional Office in Cairo and NWRC.

The second part of the visit started with a boat ride along the Nile segment between Shobra and the Center’s research campus in the Qanater El Khayria. The boat ride included a close by view of the historical barrages constructed by Mohamed Ali Pasha and completed in 1862. At the campus complex, Dr, Sanz and her accompanying UNESCO team visited the Nile Research Institute, where Dr. Sanz was briefed on the institute’s studies on river morphology, and Lake Nasser studies. This was followed by a visit to the regional training center of NWEC’s Hydraulics Research Institute, where the center's Director, highlighted its capabilities and the training courses it offers to African countries. Dr. Sanz also met with the trainees of the current diploma program participants at the center. The site visit also included the physical simulation modelling facility where UNESCO as well as the Water Resources Management Research Institute, the Central laboratories for environmental monitoring, and the Institute for Research on Climate Change and Environmental Impacts. NWRC scientists briefed UNESCO team on their Institute important activities, which ranged from evaluating and advising famers and governorates on appropriate modern irrigating technologies, monitoring and assessing the quality of water bodies including groundwater in Egypt, assessing the impacts of climate change on water resources and coastal areas, and developing flash flood hazards maps for all governorates in Egypt, among other research focus areas.

Both institutions agreed on setting up a experts working group to discuss the sustainability of the North Lakes, to support mutually training Pan-African strategies

as well as to continue cooperation in groundwater issues, namely the Nubian sand acquirer.

UNESCO Regional Office in Cairo and NWRC have had a long history of cooperation. This included the joint efforts on leading the UNESCO FRIENDS-Nile project (Yeasr) resulted in building capacities in Nile basin countries on water resources management, flood forecasting, river sedimentation and ecohydrology. The project was funded by the FLANDERS-UNESCO Fund in Trust (FUST) programme.

Dr, Sanz was accompanied by UNESCO Cairo Hydrology team including Dr. Abdel Aziz Zaki, Ms. Walaa Shawki, and Dr. Bisher Imam.