Elfatih Eltahir, the H. M. King Bhumibol Professor, is the recipient of the 2026 Arab Water Council Prize, awarded under the theme “Leading Resilient and Climate-Adaptive Water Management Systems.” The award was announced during the closing session of the 7^th Arab Water Forum on July 1, 2026.

The prize recognizes Eltahir’s contributions described in his 1996 paper “El Niño and Natural Variability in the Flow of the Nile River” published in Water Resources Research and “Climate Change Enhances Inter-annual of the Nile River Flow” published in Nature Climate Change in 2017. His work identified a teleconnection between El Niño and Nile River flows, providing a foundation for seasonal forecasting of Nile floods and projections of future Nile floods under climate change.

A significant El Niño event is developing in the Pacific Ocean in 2026, which will likely contribe to dry conditions across the Nile Basin. Eltahir’s research projects that similar events may become more frequent in the future, resulting in enhancement of inter-annual variability of the Nile floods.

Eltahir’s research aims to understand how global climate change and regional land use/land cover change may impact society through changes in the patterns of water availability, extreme weather, and spread of vector-borne diseases. His work addresses research questions at the intersection of evolving natural phenomena and vulnerable societal contexts. The Eltahir Research Group develops sophisticated numerical models including the MIT Regional Climate Model (MRCM) and the Hydrology, Entomology and Malaria Transmission Simulator (HYDREMATS) used for projecting such impacts at regional scales. The models are tested against satellite observations and archived data sets of hydrologic and atmospheric variables, as well as data collected in field campaigns.

His research achievements have been recognized with numerous awards and honors throughout his career. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the World Academy of Sciences , a member of the Sudanese National Academy of Sciences and an elected fellow of the American Geophysical Union. His honors also include, the Hydrologic Science Award, American Geophysical Union Kuwait Prize in Applied Science, and US Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).