Water supply – from theory to reality
Sometimes mathematics is closely related to real problems. Mouhamadou Samsidy Goudiabi has created a mathematical model of how the water of the Senegal River could be used more efficiently in agriculture so the country could reduce its importation of food. He is almost finished with his doctoral dissertation, which presents a possible solution to the problem.
Mouhamadou Samsidy Goudiabi is in his fourth year as a doctoral student and divides his time between Uppsala University and Gaston Berger University in St. Louis, Senegal. With support from the International Science Programme (ISP) he is working on his doctoral dissertation on two continents, with one supervisor at his home university and one at Uppsala University.
We meet in his office in Uppsala, four flights up at the Department of Information Technology. Several computers crowd the desk, because it’s on computers that he performs his calculations in numerical analysis. In Senegal he laid the theoretical foundation for the thesis with Professor Abdou Sene. Now he’s busy finding a good way to apply his theories to reality, with the support of his supervisor, Professor Gunilla Kreiss.
Freshwater going to waste
The starting point for his research is a reallife problem, namely, the water supply for agriculture in Senegal. From the eastern to the northern part of the country runs a long river, Senegal River, along the border with Mauritania and Mali.
‘Today there are communities using the river’s water for their crops. Despite this, masses of freshwater run into the sea and are thus wasted’, says Mouhamadou Samsidy Goudiabi.
‘The question is whether it’s possible to build an artificial channel and at the same time control the amount of water that runs out to the fields. How can the river water be used more efficiently? We’re trying to find answers to these questions.’
This is where mathematics comes in. He explains: If you have a problem, you first need to create a mathematical model and try to solve the problem. If it turns out it can be solved, you go back to the real-life problem and apply the mathematical solution to reality.
When he first started digging deeper into mathematics as a master’s student, he was initially sceptical about the subject.
‘I thought mathematics was too theoretical, more theoretical than what we needed. But then I realized that all real problems can be translated into mathematical problems. If problems can be solved mathematically, there’s a good chance they can be solved in reality as well.’
Besides Mouhamadou Samsidy Goudiabi, there are two other doctoral students in the project. They are studying the same problem from different angles at KTH (Royal Institute of Technology) in Stockholm. Their doctoral studies are also being funded by the International Science Programme (ISP).
‘We meet often, both in Senegal and in Sweden, and our Swedish supervisors also stay in touch. We will be completing our dissertations at the same time, with a joint public defence in April.’
ISP was established at Uppsala University 50 years ago and funds research in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. The aim is to build up competitive research in
developing countries.
‘Many groups are investing in applied research, in fields like environmental chemistry, crop genetics, and solar cells’, says ISP director Peter Sundin.
Spread around the country
ISP’s activities are largely funded by Sida but also receive support from Uppsala University, which hosts the programme. Supervisors for students in the programme are
found at several universities in the country, and one of them, Stockholm University, is also providing funding for ISP starting this year.
Support is for the long term and is given for several years, sometimes decades.
‘We don’t go in with grants for three years ahead. Instead, our goal is to establish a stable foundation for research. This takes longer, usually a decade or more’, says Peter
Sundin.
One of the thoughts behind ISP is that researchers should get some of their education in Sweden and then return to their home country. This is what Mouhamadou Samsidy Goudiabi plans.
When he returns to Senegal to defend his dissertation, he hopes to be able to continue his research and see it realized. Using his research findings, he wants to design software for organizing the supply of water in a more efficient way.
‘Today we import a lot of food in Senegal, including rice and grains. Since we have this natural river of freshwater we ought to be able to make better use of it and become self-sufficient in food.’
‘Now we have to convince the surrounding world that it’s possible, so they will be truly motivated to help us develop this research. If we have this opportunity, it would be a waste not to make use of it.’
Annica Hulth