Athar Lina Ground Water Research Project

Integrated solutions for ground water problems in historic contexts

A multi-disciplinary research and training program with the participation of an international team of architects, conservation experts, planners and experts in urbanism, environment, infrastructure and water resources. The program is organised by Megawra- Built Environment Collective and Oregon and Cornell universities, with funding from the American Research Center in Egypt and the American Embassy in Cairo and in partnership with the Ministry of Antiquities and Cairo Governorate to:

1. Study the phenomenon of ground and subsurface water rise in historic areas and its effect on historic buildings. (Research phases: Aug-Oct 2016 and Jan-Mar 2017).
2. Train professionals and scholars in the field of heritage conservation on state of the art techniques of treatment of historic buildings suffering from salt and water damage. (Conservation School: Nov-Dec 2016).
3. Organise an international school to develop integrated methodologies for the treatment of water extracted during dewatering processes to be used as an alternative for supply water for cleaning, industrial, irrigation or irrigation purposes. (International School: Mar-Apr 2017).
4. Pilot one or more proposed methodologies in al-Khalifa. (Piloting and Intervention phase: May-Jul 2017).

The program will follow a sustainable methodology through technologies that can be implemented and that are suitable for the social particularity and economic conditions of the area with the aim of transforming ground water from a source of harm to a social resource. It builds on Athar Lina Initiative’s mandate to preserve the historic city and make sure it is used efficiently as a social resource and driver for development. Athar Lina initiative has been implementing an integrated participatory program of conservation, rehabilitation, heritage education, tourist development, capacity building and urban development in the neighborhood of Khalifa since 2012 based on this mandate.