KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Discover our six expert speakers and their key insights.
Pr. Lahcen BENAABIDATE
Pr. Lahcen Benaabidate is a professor and director of the Geo-Resources and Environment Laboratory at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University of Fez. He holds a State Doctorate in Hydrogeology from the same university (2000) and a Third-Cycle PhD in Hydrogeothermics from the University of Sfax, Tunisia (1994). He is also the Vice President of the Moroccan Committee of the International Association of Hydrogeologists. His research focuses mainly on hydrology, hydrogeology, and the study of thermal waters. He represents his university within the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science (CUAHSI). He has participated in several research projects as a member or coordinator, including European projects, PHC Maghreb programs, Morocco–Tunisia Joint Actions, and Erasmus+ mobility projects. He has supervised around ten PhD theses and collaborates with colleagues from Algeria, the United States, France, Tunisia, Egypt, Greece, and, of course, Morocco. He has received several international mobility fellowships, including Fulbright, DAAD, Erasmus+, and TWAS.
Dr. Oula AMROUNI
Dr. Oula Amrouni is an Associate Professor at the National Institute of Marine Sciences and Technologies (INSTM) - University of Carthage, and an expert in geology and the study of sediment dynamics in both aerial and underwater coastal systems. Dr. Amrouni specializes in the evolution of the North African coastline in the context of climate and urban changes. Since 2003, she has led or participated in around twenty national and international projects. Her research focuses on developing nature-based solutions for the restoration of sandy beaches while promoting the role of sustainable tourism in the green economy. Since 2016, she has served as the Regional Coordinator of the UNESCO MEDFRIEND-WATER program and leads the theme on “Coastal Ecohydrology.” She is also the focal point of the OMELI Coastal Observatory, recognized as a UNESCO demonstration site since 2022.
Pr. Ernest AMOUSSOU
Pr. Ernest Amoussou is a Full Professor of Applied Physical Geography (Hydrology & Climatology) at the Department of Geography and Land-Use Planning, University of Parakou (Benin), where he has been teaching since 2011. His teaching and research focus on hydrology, statistics, hydroclimatic modeling, and integrated water resources management. He is a member of the Laboratory of Climatology and Tropical Ethnoclimatology (Labo ClimET-UP) at the University of Parakou and an associate researcher at the Pierre Pagney Laboratory: Climate, Water, Ecosystems and Development (LACEEDE), University of Abomey-Calavi. His main research theme explores the interactions between climate and water resources. Professor Amoussou is also a member of the Permanent Commission on Climate and Environment of the National Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters of Benin (ANSALB). He serves as Regional Coordinator of FRIEND AOC / UNESCO-PHI and Vice-President of the International Commission on Surface Water (ICSW) within the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS). In addition, he acts as Technical Environmental Advisor for China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC). His research interests include climate variability and change, climate risks and adaptation strategies, hydrological extremes (floods and droughts), sediment dynamics, and coastal ecosystem processes. He has authored and co-authored numerous scientific papers published in indexed and peer-reviewed journals and international conference proceedings.
Pr. Yves TRAMBLAY
Pr. Yves Tramblay is a specialist in Hydrological Risk Modelling, IRD Espace‑DEV, France.
Yves Tramblay is a senior scientist (research director) at the French Institute of Research for Development (IRD). He works primarily on the impact of climate change on hydrological risks: heavy rainfall, flooding, and droughts. The aim is to understand how the processes associated with these phenomena are changing in the context of climate change in different regions such as the Mediterranean and West Africa. He has contributed to various scientific reports, including the MAR1 report of the MedECC initiative and the IPCC chapter on the Mediterranean in AR6 WGII..
Pr. Christel PRUDHOMME
Pr. Christel Prudhomme is an expert in global hydrology, with over 30 years of experience in research and operations, specialised in understanding and modelling hydrological extremes and their response to weather and climate variability. She leads the Hydrological Monitoring and Forecasting team at the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast, in charge of ECMWF's activities in hydrological forecasting, with an aim to improve overall global hydrological forecast skill at horizons between 1 week and several months, and to develop user-focused hydrological forecast products via a range of complementary approaches including Earth Systems modelling and Machine Learning. She also manages the Hydrological Forecast Computing Centre of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, responsible for the development, maintenance and operational running of the European and Global Flood Awareness Systems.
Dr. Victor KONGO
Dr. Kongo is an accomplished Water Resources Engineer and a vetted international consultant under the UNDP’s Experts Roster on Climate Change and Resilience. He is currently the regional representative for the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) and member of the Africa IAHS Board. He is the immediate Country Coordinator for the World Bank 2030 Water Resources Group (WRG) in Tanzania and has served as the Executive Director for Global Water Partnership Tanzania. He has been Senior Consultant for World Bank on Water and Climate Resilience and served as an Advisor to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) supporting development of strategic national and regional investment programmes in East Africa. He has been a Technical Advisor to the Government of Zanzibar (Ministry of Water, Energy and Minerals) on system strengthening and coordinating development partners in the water sector. For the last 10 years, Dr. Kongo has established himself as a strategic leader and advisor for Governments and international organizations. Specifically, Dr. Kongo was part of the technical team that developed the African Union (AU) Continental Africa Water Investment Programe (AU-AIP) (www.aipwater.org) and has supported countries in Africa to develop national water investments programmes as well as reviewing water policies. Victor has received Presidential Awards for his relentless and impactful work in water sector in Africa.