The collaborative project included training and exchange visits between the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the Nile Forecasting Center, and Dr. Robert Kuligowski from the NOAA Center for Satellite Applications and Research.

June 2010: Habib & Kuligowki visit NFC
The Project PI, Dr. Emad Habib and Dr. Robert Kuligowski visited the Nile Forecasting Center in Cairo, Egypt.  During this visit, they discussed the proposed project activities with the Egyptian collaborators at NFC and developed a work plan.  Dr. Kuligowski delivered a presentation about satellite-rainfall research and applications at the NOAA START center.  The current NFC satellite-rainfall algorithm was reviewed and discussed by the visitors and the NFC staff.  During the visit, the NFC provided a set of their IR data to be used for initial development and testing of the new proposed algorithm. 

June-July 2010: Grad student El-Saadani visit NFC
During the summer of 2010, the UL graduate student, Mr. Mohamed El Saadani, visited the Nile Forecasting Center in Cairo and spent four weeks working with their staff.  The NFC research staff introduced Mr. El Saadani to their main hydrologic forecasting tool, the Nile Forecasting System, NFS.  Mr. El Saadani performed hydrologic simulations with the NFS to study its sensitivity to different satellite-based rainfall estimates and assess the impact of their uncertainties on the system performance. 

July 2011: Habib visit to NFC
Dr. Emad Habib visited the Nile Forecasting Center in Cairo, Egypt and presented the first set of results based on the application of new rainfall algorithm over the Nile Basin.  Initial training was provided to the NFC staff on how on the main features of the algorithm and its setup over the Nile Basin. 

August 2011: NFC junior staff visit UL Lafayette for training
A group of the NFC engineering staff visited UL Lafayette and spent two weeks for training on the rainfall estimation algorithm.  The visitors included:

The visitors were trained on how to setup the different codes of the algorithm, preparing the input data and post-processing of the algorithm output.  A full copy of the algorithm and its supporting documents were provided to the NFC trainees. 

August 2011: University of Iowa visitors come to UL Lafayette
Dr. Allen Bradley, from the University of Iowa, and his Ph.D. graduate student, Mohamed Habib (a former MS graduate of UL Lafayette) visited UL during the same visit of the NFC staff.  Dr. Bradley presented his own work over the Nile Basin which focuses on verification of streamflow forecasts produced by the NFC Nile Forecasting System (NFS).  The project team and visitors discussed future plans for multi-collaboration between U of Iowa, UL Lafayette and NFC.