National Water and Energy Center

Overview

The national prosperity and economic vitality and growth depend upon the availability of adequate future supplies of water and energy. Therefore, the UAE Government s vision for a sustainable future includes the two most critical resources, water and energy as two of its primary pillars. Following the national interest, the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) initiatives in research and innovation give high priority to the conservation and sustainability of water resources and energy.

The UAEU established the National Water Center (NWC) in 2012. The NWC functioned as a multidisciplinary research and consultancy center in response to the strategic needs of the country and the region. In 2016, the center obtained a professional license in several activities associated with the proper classification from the Department of Economic Development. The NWC focused on high quality and applied multidisciplinary research that addresses national and regional water resources. The Center provided high-impact research and innovative practical solutions to water-related challenges across the UAE and beyond. The NWC addressed the country s growing water needs, strengthened the knowledge base and informed water decisions at different levels.

The Emirates Center for Energy and Environment Research (ECEER) was established in 2014 in support of the university s vision of conducting high quality research in Energy and Environment as one of the areas of national priority. Noting the dependency of water and energy on one another, the UAEU resolved the merger of ECEER to the NWC in July 2020 to become the National Water and Energy Center (NWEC).

The NWEC is one of several research centers that belong to the UAEU, with the intension of being world-class centers for providing a combination of research, teaching, professional development, policy analysis and consultancy in the fields of water resources sustainability, energy, health, transportation, agriculture, and other fields. The center works in alignment with the national interest and the UAEU strategic plan by establishing a national and international reputation for the UAEU in the areas of water and energy development, conservation and sustainability, with a specific focus on renewable energy and non-conventional water resources.

The NWEC provides a platform that allows the researchers to share their resources and experiences as well as tighten collaboration among each other and with the industry. Moreover, the NWEC provides the proper management and coordination mechanism to enable the intra-UAE collaboration, proper alignment of research activities, bridging the gap between local industry and academia. It incorporates cutting-edge solutions to ensure reliable, secured, and clean water and energy resources while improving their efficiency, sustainability, resilience, and use to preserve the natural resources and ensure the environmental sustainability of the UAE. The NWEC focuses on high quality translational and applied multidisciplinary research that addresses, houses and coordinates innovative research and activities as well as consultation services at the national, regional, and international levels in the areas of water, energy, and environment. The NWEC considers different approaches to achieve water, energy, and environmental sustainability and to reduce the negative impact of energy consumption on climate change through the provided research and services. The NWEC incorporates the development of short and long-term research strategies including the establishment of several interdisciplinary research teams to conduct advanced research and consultancy services.

The NWEC scope of research incorporates assessment, development, utilization, planning, management, and sustainability of water resources, including groundwater, surface water, desalinated water, and treated wastewater, both quantitatively and qualitatively. On the other hand, the center focuses on research and development (R&D) in areas of renewable energy, thermal energy production, geothermal energy, energy harvesting, energy storage and efficiency, smart material, energy conservation and sustainability, power plants engineering, energy policy and economics, and water-energy interdependencies.

Given that the NWEC has a trade commercial license in the emirate of Abu Dhabi through the Abu Dhabi Department of Economics, associated with the proper licensed activities, it can participate in all tenders related to energy. This allows the NWEC and its affiliated faculty members, to compete in tenders and provide relevant consultancy services to the governmental and private entities. The Center has received several externally funded projects and consultation services from different authorities during the last two years. In addition, the Center runs several internally funded projects through the university strategic program with a number of Ph.D. and Master Students under the supervision of affiliated faculty members. The Center also has ongoing collaborations with regional and international universities and organizations.

The staff of the NWEC is composed of core members who have full appointment positions at the Center and a large number of affiliated faculty members from different colleges, who are involved in specific research projects upon demand. International researchers may also be invited to contribute to the center s activities based on the needs. All members have a strong theoretical background and outstanding practical and applied experiences. More than 50 Ph.D. and M.Sc. holders, covering all water, energy, and environment related disciplines, are affiliated with the NWEC. In addition, the NWEC has full access to all research laboratories of the UAEU including the labs of the College of Science, College of Engineering, College of Food and Agriculture, and others.